Wrexham's January Transfer Window Preview
A breakdown of some possible moves for the squad, along with an assessment of the current rumors floating around.
Since today's match was postponed due to poor pitch conditions, I’m using this this special edition of the Wreader to take a look at some of Wrexham’s needs for the upcoming transfer window and assess the current rumors that are out there.
Current Depth
Perhaps the most important question heading into January is: what do Wrexham actually need? So first things first, let’s take a look at the current depth chart. Keep in mind, I made this chart based on what I’ve seen in Phil’s lineups plus my own assessment of the player's talents. Was this the best use of my time? No it was not. But I enjoyed doing it, so here it is:
Obviously, this isn’t a perfect chart. Some of these players have moved around throughout the season (notably O’Connor, McAlinden, and McClean). I left off poor Billy Waters from the striker list since he doesn’t appear to be in the running for minutes any time soon. I also left off goalkeepers Rob Lainton and Liam Hall, who don’t seem to be in the mix at the moment as Lainton is still recovering from his latest injury and Hall has yet to see an appearance since his call up. But if I did include them, I’d still slot them behind McNicholas, whose loan will be ending soon but I expect Wrexham to pick up their option to buy him. Obviously there is a question mark around Okonkwo at the moment, but moving forward I feel good about a Howard-McNicholas temporary solution. If, however, Okonkwo is actually slated to miss significant time, then I definitely think a keeper should be on Phil’s to-do list for January. That said, this is the time for Howard to step up. He played well after Foster retired at the start of the season, and had a strong showing last week (in the few opportunities he had to do anything, that is), but if he falters over the next few weeks while we wait for Okonkwo to return, then adding another keeper is a no-brainer.
Having gone over our keepers, let’s look at the rest of Phil’s favored formation:
Defense
After a rough start to the year, the defense has come around. That said, Tunnicliffe’s return to action is an unknown, as is the case for O’Connell. So while I think the wingbacks are well-covered between McClean, Mendy, Barnett, Forde, McFadzean, and even Jordan Davies, I could see Phil going after a centerback, particularly with Hayden picking up an injury recently. Aaron James and Max Cleworth have played decently well in their recent appearances, but a more experienced defender isn’t the worst investment, especially if Boyle will be bumped back up to starter should Hayden need to miss time.
Midfield
All told, our midfield might be the highlight of the first half of the season. Lee, Evans, and Cannon have established themselves as the trio to trust in the center of the pitch. Not to be outdone, Jones, McAlinden, and Davies have all given them a run for their money in terms of starts (at least where Cannon is concerned). On top of that, Phil has shown he isn’t afraid to trust Hosannah when necessary. That said, I would think Cannon’s slot is the most achievable for a new player entering the squad…especially if something happens to Lee or Evans. I can see the benefits to grabbing a starting-level midfielder in January. If the club is totally healthy, it would bump Cannon down to super-sub status, but that’s already a role he’s already shined in this year. If they wanted to spend money elsewhere, a substitute level midfielder to challenge Davies and Jones for minutes might not be the worst acquisition either.
Forwards
Assuming everyone stays healthy, I think most Wrexham fans are more than comfortable seeing Mullin and Palmer leading the line game in, game out. Dalby has firmly established himself as the next name on the list, often swapping the starter/sub role with Palmer. As you’ll see below, most of the rumors out there surround strikers. If that’s the case, it certainly strengthens our depth…but would give even less minutes to our current record signing: Palmer. But that said, should Mullin or Palmer go down the mood changes instantly. Suddenly it’s only Dalby and Bickerstaff waiting to pick up the slack until Fletcher is clear to play again and we have no idea when or if that will happen this season. So I’d be pleased by Phil signing a Dalby-level striker to boost our depth up front, but would be a little surprised if he’s aiming to bump Palmer down to the bench.
Expiring Contracts
New blood is not the only thing to look for in the coming weeks. The following players have contracts expiring at season’s end (technically 6/30). Certainly some if not most of them should be handed extensions before long, but we could see others dealt during the next month:
Jake Bickerstaff
Max Cleworth
Owen Cushion
Steven Fletcher
Liam Hall
Aaron Hayden
Bryce Hosannah
Mark Howard
Eoghan O’Connell
Rob Lainton
Liam McAlinden
James McClean
Callum McFadzean
Arthur Okonkwo (loan ends 5/31/2023)
Ben Tozer
Jordan Tunnicliffe
Luke Young
Rumors
Luke Armstrong - Striker
Is this a rumor, or just unfinished business? That’ll be one of the first questions when the transfer window opens on January 1. For those who missed it, Harrogate Town’s Luke Armstrong was (perhaps literally) a breath away from spending the last three months in a Wrexham kit. Although Wrexham and Armstrong agreed to terms, with both parties announcing the signing on Twitter, the EFL ruled that the necessary paperwork was not completed before the deadline and blocked the deal. Wrexham initially said they’d appeal, but quickly determined they’d lose said appeal and let it go.
Interestingly, Armstrong was playing quite well early in the season, but since the deadline his quality plummeted. That decline, coupled with the fact that he clearly had one foot out the door, led to him no longer featuring for manager Simon Weaver, who stated: “Obviously he wants to get his move. I just want to concentrate on playing the players that are going to be available from January onwards.”
It seems clear Harrogate Town are planning on moving Armstrong, (who finished last season with an even 7.0 FotMob rating and 16 goals, the 5th most in League Two), the only question is if Wrexham are still interested. The deal was rumored to be a new record signing for the dragons, but that was when Mullin’s return was still uncertain. Now, we have decent squad depth at striker, with three reliable starters in Mullin, Palmer, and Dalby. Armstrong would likely bump Palmer down to the bench and I’m just not sure that fits right now. Billy Waters can’t be trusted to deliver at the moment, so I wouldn’t mind seeing another striker added (although we have five forwards in the youth academy, with Callum Edwards probably being the most likely to get a call up), but not at a premium price tag. At least not right now. Barring anything happening to Mullin, Palmer, and Dalby, I’d say we should be in the market for another backup striker, not a new first teamer.
Saidou Khan - Midfielder
According to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Wrexham are planning to make a strong offer (“the £350,000 region”) for Swindon Town’s Saidou Khan. The soon-to-be 28 year-old midfielder has been impressive this season. Currently he holds a 7.22 FotMob rating, with three assists and a goal over 18 matches - all of which he’s started. That ranks him as Swindon’s fourth-best player and 66th in the league (as of this writing). Khan has also played for the Gambian National Team, although he did not play with Mendy against Ivory Coast. Still, it looks like those two will be teammates on the national squad moving forward, a connection that can’t help but transfer to the club level.
Khan plays as a central midfielder, usually deployed left of center. Phil currently favors a 5-3-2 formation, so that would put him in competition for Lee, Evans, and Cannon’s spots. Unless Phil changes formation (which I sort of doubt since he plays McClean and Mendy as wingbacks), I would think Khan would bump Cannon to the bench. Given how good Cannon has been recently, I don’t think that’d be an ideal sight at the Racecourse, but of the rumors out there right now this seems to have the best legs.
Billy Sharp - Striker
Frankly, I can’t believe I’m talking about it either. Billy Sharp, whose clash with Phil Parkinson and Wrexham during their FA Cup tie with Sheffield United last year was featured prominently in season two of Welcome to Wrexham, has found himself out of a job. After the end of the 2022-23 season, Sharp was dropped by Sheffield and he moved to LA Galaxy in MLS, where he was at the time that episode aired. But the MLS season has ended for Galaxy and the club didn’t offer the striker a new contract. His time in LA ends with 6 goals over 12 appearances.
Appearing on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, Sharp was asked about Wrexham as a possible destination. He said: "Wrexham are doing really well, fair play to them. I don't hold grudges. If that were one of my better options, why not." Herepeated these sentiments this week on the Fozcast, hosted by our friend Ben Foster, where he also mentioned he already had offers on the table: he did not indicate that Wrexham were among them.
So why not? Well, Billy, I’ll tell you why not: you insulted the club, the manager, and the owners, you’re 37 years old and should be considering retirement rather than a new club, Wrexham have a selection of quality strikers on hand already, and finally, we already are possibly (probably?) signing Luke Armstrong in short order. We don’t need Billy Sharp. If I were to remove some emotion from my analysis, his current FotMob rating is 6.84 - not exactly an eye-watering number. (For those unfamiliar, I’ll give you some context: Mullin’s is currently 7.41 and Christiano Ronaldo is at a 8.32).
But at any rate, as fun as it is to see Sharp do a total about face on his Wrexham rhetoric, I don’t think this rumor has much to it. He was asked a question and he answered it as any unemployed player would. Rob, Ryan, and Phil might have gotten the last laugh here, but I doubt they’ll be interested in him joining the squad.
Jonson Clarke-Harris - Striker
Another name Wrexham was linked to during the summer transfer window was League One’s Jonson Clarke-Harris. It was reported that Ryan Reynolds approved a bid for the Peterborough United striker, but talks broke down. Jonson was tied for the top scorer in League One last year with 26 goals while leading the league in expected goals (18.6), expected goals on target (26.1), and was ranked 27th overall in the league by FotMob. Currently he has 4 goals over 16 appearances (12 starts) in League One this season. With his contract up after this year, Peterborough seem extremely likely to move the 29-year-old this January and if Wrexham were interested he would likely be the new record signing for the club. As bad as I’d feel for Ollie seeing more of the bench as a result, it’s hard not to be excited about a player of this caliber joining Mullin up front.
Final Thoughts
Sitting in second place (even after not playing today), Wrexham are in good shape. We’ve been hit hard by the injury bug, yes, but we’ve had some flexibility toward the back with Jordan Davies and McAlinden seeing time at both midfield and defense. I think if Phil plans to add a starting striker, I’d like to see Clarke-Harris over Luke Armstrong, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Armstrong is inked on January 1st either. After all…he was supposed to be here already. Of the rumored names, Saidou Khan sounds like the most likely to join the squad after Armstrong. He likely wouldn’t break the bank and would provide extra depth in midfield, giving Phil plenty of options when we have short turnarounds in between matches.
Next Match:
Saturday 12/16 vs Colchester
While we wait for a new date for the first fixture with Forest Green, our next outing is currently scheduled for next Saturday versus Colchester at the Racecourse. Colchester are one place and five points ahead of Forest Green in 22nd, so Wrexham are the clear favorites heading into this one. That said, we can’t afford to drop any points during these ‘easy matches,’ so even though we now have a game in hand anything other than a win next week is unacceptable.
