How many players will Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney sign? ‘At least’ prediction made by Wrexham legend as summer transfer window prepares to swing open

There is every chance that the Red Dragons will bring in many more than that, with eight players having been released at the end of the 2023-24 campaign. There are only so many places that can be filled in their squad ahead of a step up into League One, but the plan is to have multiple options for every position.

Hollywood co-owners Reynolds and McElhenney, who have already invested heavily in the Welsh outfit, are prepared to make more funds available for new recruits. Phil Parkinson is looking to spend that money wisely as Wrexham take aim at back-to-back-to-back promotions.

Club legend Mickey Thomas has told The Leader of what he expects from the next recruitment market: “You’d expect three or four new signings at least. Recruitment is key and Phil will already have the players he wants on his radar. And he’ll be looking for quality and League One is a really big step up. But I can’t see him having problems enticing quality players to sign. With everything that’s happening at Wrexham since Ryan and Rob took over, Wrexham is an attractive option for players from higher leagues and they pay decent money too.”

The Red Dragons are back in the third tier of English football for the first time in 20 years, with Thomas adding on collective targets: “It’s going to be an exciting summer and an exciting season again. Expectations will again be high - as they always are at Wrexham - but it may be a case of consolidation first this season. There’s not much difference between the National League and League Two but there’s more quality in League One. There’s also a lot of good teams - proper teams with good backing - who will be competing with Wrexham. The three teams coming down from the Championship will be aiming to go straight up and then you’ve got the likes of Barnsley and Bolton.”

The three sides coming down are Rotherham, Huddersfield and Birmingham – with the latter ensuring that there will be a boardroom battle between Reynolds, McElhenney and NFL legend Tom Brady on at least two occasions in the 2024-25 season.