‘It’s a beautiful place’ - Rihanna & A$AP Rocky get Tranmere recommendation amid talk of another A-list takeover & bid to become ‘the next Wrexham’

Back in 2021, Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney started a ball rolling that has continued to gathered pace. They now form part of a celebrity pack in British football that includes Michael B Jordan (Bournemouth), Tom Brady (Birmingham City), JJ Watt (Burnley), Ed Sheeran (Ipswich Town) and Will Ferrell (Leeds United).

There is the promise of more deals to come, with rap star A$AP Rocky – who is the partner of Grammy Award winner Rihanna – reportedly involved with an investment group that are considering a bid to acquire League Two outfit Tranmere Rovers.

Success-starved fans at Prenton Park are daring to dream of a brighter future, with former Tranmere player and manager John Aldridge – speaking in association with Betano – telling GOAL when asked if Rovers can become the ‘next Wrexham’: “Why not? Most teams have always wanted a sugar daddy. Chelsea were the first ones with [Roman] Abramovich. You look at what Wrexham have done and it’s been brilliant for the city as well as the football club. It’s shown it in front of the world, what these two megastars have done. Fair play to them.

“I’d love Tranmere to be somewhere in the same vein. It’s screaming out for it. I was there for the Milton Keynes Dons game. You have got to stay in the League. If you drop down, it’s really tough. Look at Oldham now, struggling to get back, Rochdale. It would be really good to see.

“It’s a good catchment area, the Wirral and round there. There are obviously loads of Liverpool and Evertonians there but when I was manager, we tried to show them Tranmere and make them a second team. If they got that investment in the Wirral, I’m pretty sure it would take off. When I was manager there, we had plenty of full houses – especially in the cup games. You can get good crowds there. I just hope it happens.”

Quizzed on whether famous investors are good for the game, with the potential for Rihanna to be taking in EFL action on Merseyside, or whether it threatens to become a distracting gimmick, Aldridge added: “Wrexham is, that’s gimmicky. But what it’s done for industry, hotels and everything, it’s lit up Wrexham as a city.

“Now, it’s the Wirral, it’s not really a city, but they have obviously seen something that they are interested in. It’s a beautiful place, the Wirral. Just fingers crossed. It’s something the Tranmere fans probably deserve because they haven’t had anything to shout about for some time now.”

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Tranmere currently sit 22nd in the League Two table, just one place and two points above a relegation zone that leads into the National League. A spark is clearly required on the field, and it may be that Rihanna and A$AP Rocky help to provide one off it as they bring more razzamatazz to EFL ranks just over 30 miles from Wrexham.