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Wrexham are hoping to make history in the 2024/25 Championship and earn promotion to the Premier League, which would fulfil the dreams of their Hollywood owners.
In the 2024/25 third tier campaign, Wrexham made history with promotion from League One.
Only two years ago, the Red Dragons were celebrating promotion from the National League, and now Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are one season away from their ultimate goal of promotion to the Premier League.
Wrexham finished behind record-breakers Birmingham City in the table, and both the newly-promoted sides will be spending big this summer, as the duo target successive promotions.
Birmingham and Wrexham have been battling it out for Danny Ings, who is out of contract this summer at West Ham and is therefore available on a free transfer.
Aside from Ings, Wrexham have been linked with several EFL stars, and are poised to break their transfer record this summer, as EFL Analysis dissects their top five most expensive signings to date.
Wrexham’s top five most expensive signings ever made
Many had scoffed at the prospect of the Red Dragons becoming a top flight side in English football. Now, they are one Championship campaign away from doing so, and seeing Wrexham’s owner Reynolds achieve his dream of the club earning Premier League promotion
As quoted by the BBC, Reynolds said: “Now we’re standing on the precipice of that very dream in this little town.”
If Wrexham are to do so, then the club may have to break their current club transfer record, as we take a look at their top five most expensive signings ever made.
5 – Sebastian Revan
Fifth on Wrexham’s most expensive signings list is full-back Sebastian Revan, who signed from Aston Villa last summer, penning a three-year deal with the Red Dragons.
As per transfermarkt.co.uk, Revan’s transfer fee was in the region of £350k, and the 21-year-old has proven to be a brilliant addition to Phil Parkinson’s squad.
Revan featured 27 times in all competitions for Wrexham last season, notching four goal contributions, and has the potential to grow into one of the second tier’s top young full-backs.
4 – Ollie Rathbone
Former Rotherham ace Ollie Rathbone resides fourth in the list, but when he arrived in early August, it was a then-club record fee.
Englishman Rathbone arrived for a fee in the region of £421k, smashing the previous club record transfer fee of around £300k, which was shelled out for frontman Ollie Palmer in 2022 to Wimbledon.
The ex-Rochdale ace notched eight goals and three assists in 41 League One appearances this season to play an integral role in their historic promotion.
3 – Ryan Longman
Versatile winger Ryan Longman sits third in the club’s top five most expensive signings after he was bought from Hull City in the January window for a fee just shy of £500k.
Brighton youth product Longman was Wrexham’s first acquisition of the mid-season window, and has proven to be a stellar bit of business, having notched six assists in 21 appearances this season.
Longman’s year of Championship experience from his time at Hull and Millwall will be imperative for Wrexham’s debut second tier season.
2 – Mo Faal
In second place is Mo Faal, who signed from West Brom last summer in a £500k deal, with the youngster penning a contract to keep him at Wrexham until 2027.
Despite being Wrexham’s second most expensive signing to date, Faal has failed to justify the half-a-million pound outlay in his debut campaign for the Red Dragons.
The 22-year-old didn’t find the net in eight League One outings for Wrexham last term amidst the prolific goalscoring form of the club’s most expensive signing on record.
1 – Sam Smith
Frontman Sam Smith is currently Wrexham’s most expensive signing ever, after he arrived from previous third tier rivals Reading in January, for a fee estimated to be in the region of £2 million.
Smith’s club record arrival, which saw Wrexham break the £1 million barrier for the first time in their 161-year history, has been an inspired acquisition.
Englishman Smith was one of the third tier’s top scorers this season, finishing his season on 18 league goals, with seven of those coming in 19 Wrexham appearances.