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Birmingham City and Wrexham battled for promotion to the Championship this season, and now they’re set to rival each other in the summer transfer window.
As Birmingham cantered to the League One title at a record-breaking pace, Wrexham won promotion to the Championship in second position, returning to the second-tier for the first time since 1982.
The two clubs, who are both backed by ambitious US owners, are now looking to cement their place in the Championship in 2025/26, or even do an Ipswich Town and win back-to-back promotions.
To do that, the newly promoted sides must flex their financial muscles. Birmingham plan to break their transfer record this summer, beating the £15 million paid for Jay Stansfield in 2024, while Wrexham could also spend big under Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.
Chris Davies’ side arguably hold the upper hand in negotiations for players, though, as the Blues can offer at least £30k-per-week in wages. However, there is one major reason why one target should snub Birmingham and join Phil Parkinson’s project instead.
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Why Harry Darling should snub Birmingham City to join Wrexham
As reported by Alan Nixon via his Patreon last week, Birmingham and Wrexham are in a fierce race to snap up Swansea City defender Harry Darling on a free transfer.
The 25-year-old, who sees his contract expire in June, was an integral part of Luke Williams’ defence in the Championship in 2024/25, amassing five goals and three assists in 39 appearances.
Darling is a classy operator in the second tier, capable of playing out from defence with the ball, something Davies encourages at Birmingham.
However, when deciding which club to join next – should he leave – he must snub the Blues and sign for Wrexham instead.
Birmingham have already confirmed the signing of Phillip Neumann, who will move to St Andrews on July 1, while there is confidence of bringing Ben Davies back to the club following his successful loan spell.
Davies formed an excellent partnership with the outstanding Christoph Klarer at centre-back, and that means Darling could find himself third or fourth choice.
On the other hand, the Cambridge-born star would be guaranteed a regular spot in the starting line-up under Parkinson, perhaps slotting into the centre of a back three alongside Max Cleworth and Lewis Brunt.
Further, the fact that Wrexham are closer to Swansea geographically could play a part in his decision-making, as they aim to become the biggest club in Wales.
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What Luke Williams has said about Darling
Darling has been ever-present at the Swans since joining from MK Dons in the summer of 2022. He’s amassed over a century of Championship appearances and arguably become one of the division’s best ball-playing defenders.
Snapping him up on a free transfer would therefore be a bargain, with comments from boss Luke Williams from January 2025 explaining why he would be a solid addition for either Birmingham or Wrexham.
“Harry was outstanding, and it is impossible to question his commitment to the football club because that was a heroic performance from him,” Williams said.
“He is fantastic at defending the goal, competing for everything with the opposition. But he also had plenty of brilliant actions in helping us to build-up to try and score. He was brilliant, he’s an excellent player.”