'Bonkers' $475m Wrexham valuation reflects ‘Disneyification’ under Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney as new investors eyed at Racecourse Ground

Hollywood stars Reynolds and McElhenney acquired the Red Dragons for just £2m when completing a stunning takeover in 2021. They have overseen a historic run of three successive promotions, which have lifted the Welsh club into the Championship.

More money will be required in order to reach the Premier League Promised Land, with the door being left open for more investors to enjoy a remarkable sporting adventure - one that is being played out in front of the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary cameras.

It has been suggested that Wrexham have now reached the £350m mark when it comes to market value, given the success that they have been enjoying on and off the pitch, but a sports finance expert is not convinced that Reynolds and McElhenney are at that point just yet.

Dr Rob Wilson has told BettingLounge: “It’s bonkers, it's just a massive valuation and reflects the Disneyification of Wrexham. So, it reflects their kind of a blend, let's say, of their asset base, their projected earnings, their projected media exposure based on what they've been able to get the kind of Disney Plus series, the global following, the kind of promotion boost that they will have achieved, really helps just amplify it.

“But that valuation is nuts. But then football as a product is nuts sometimes. If people want to be involved in that story then it's a great way of raising an additional bit of capital. It's a great way of accelerating your team progression. My eyebrows went up a couple of times and I keep seeing people commenting on the same posts that I see on social media and I'm like this is still nuts.

“But they are running a very smart business operation behind the scenes. Which is naturally amplified because of the ownership. I don't know what the ceiling is but a club valuation four times that of Sheffield United is really optimistic.”

Reynolds and McElhenney have already sold a stake in Wrexham to the billionaire Allyn family, with the plan being to welcome more investors on board that boast deep pockets. Phil Parkinson and Co are currently identifying targets for the summer transfer window.