Wrexham manager admits club is facing 'tough' transfer problem ahead of League Two return

Its been a whirlwind few years for Wrexham, having been taken over by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, before finally sealing promotion back to the English Football League earlier this year.

And yet, its possible that the club has become a slight victim of its own success, as the current club manager, Phil Parkinson, recently revealed.

Parkinson, who previously managed Sunderland, helped Wrexham win the 2022/23 National League title after amassing over 100 points.

However, next season poses a whole different type of challenge, as the club prepares to return to League Two for the first time in 15 years.

Such a step up in quality naturally requires some new arrivals this summer, but as Parkinson has revealed, the job of recruiting players is easier said than done.

Speaking to Welsh newspaper The Leader, Parkinson said: "We have spoken to a lot of players and we are in discussions with clubs.

"Like I keep saying, we have got a good squad and to get better players than the ones we have already got is really tough.

"If two or three players become available which we want and which we feel will really improve the squad, then of course we will go all out to get them.

"We have targeted the ones we want and we are in discussions with those clubs but at this time of the year, things take time for many different reasons."

Since arriving at the club in 2020, Hollywood owners Reynolds and McElhenney have invested a significant amount of money to help improve the squad - all in a bid to seal promotion to the Football League. With this in mind, it is little wonder that the task of replacing players who have already performed so well for the club isn't an easy one.

Parkinson added: "Ideally, every manager wants the whole squad together prior to pre-season but that never happens. We are best off waiting for the players we really want, knowing that the squad is strong as it stands.

"We are going into pre-season with a core of really good players and I am looking forward to touching base with them all when we are back in on June 29."

One area of the pitch where Wrexham AFC shouldn't need to add reinforcements this summer is between the sticks, as former Premier League goalkeeper Ben Foster has opted to stay on for another season.

Having helped the club seal promotion last year with a vital last-minute save against promotion rivals Notts County, the 40-year-old is ready to do it all over again in League Two.

Foster told The Mirror: "At the end of last season it was obvious that I enjoyed being at the Club, I loved being part of the team and everything that Wrexham stands for.

"The fans took to me so warmly, Phil Parkinson is brilliant, [assistant manager] Steve Parkin is top class, I love [goalkeeping coach] Aidan Davison to bits, and the Co-Chairmen are out of this world."