Wrexham must sign ‘exceptional’ top flight midfielder after Tommy Doyle’s snub for Birmingham City

Add as preferred source on Google

Birmingham City are set to beat Wrexham to the loan signing of Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Tommy Doyle.

Not only were Birmingham City and Wrexham fighting for the League One title last term, the Hollywood-infused rivalry between the two clubs has now seeped into the summer transfer window.

Both clubs have been mentioned together in links for several stars this summer, and most recently have been going head-to-head for the signature of Wolves midfielder Tommy Doyle.

Unfortunately for the Red Dragons, EFL Analysis understands that Doyle is set to join Birmingham on loan ahead of the 2025/26 Championship campaign, in a major coup for the promotion-hunting Blues.

After missing out on Doyle, Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson should target a top flight midfielder who has been in “exceptional” form this season.

• READ MORE: Wrexham fans will love Paul Mullin’s classy message after Wigan Athletic loan deal confirmed

Wrexham should target Lennon Miller after Tommy Doyle chose Birmingham City

Both Birmingham and Wrexham targeted Joe Gelhardt from Leeds United as a loan option this summer, but a deal is yet to materialise for the former Hull City loanee.

However, a deal that has come to fruition regards the Wolves outcast, which is poised to be officially announced a week after EFL Analysis revealed that Birmingham were favourites over Wrexham to sign Doyle.

In light of central midfielder Doyle snubbing the Red Dragons for Birmingham, a separate signing that Wrexham should target this summer is Motherwell starlet Lennon Miller.

During the 2024/25 Scottish Premier League campaign, Scotsman Miller notched two goals and eight assists in the heart of Motherwell’s midfield, and has taken that stellar form into Scotland’s international summer friendlies.

Earlier this month, 18-year-old Miller made his first start for Scotland in their 4-0 victory against Liechtenstein, in a game which perfectly encapsulated the level of talent and promise the starlet possesses.

As per Fotmob, Miller created the most chances (5) in the match, made the most tackles (4), was the most fouled player (4), and won the most duels in the match (11) within the win, which also saw him provide an assist for Che Adams.

Former Scotland skipper Scott Brown was waxing lyrical about Miller after his outstanding, mature display.

Brown told the BBC: “His variation of passing is exceptional, he’s played at the top level for two years now and you can see the maturity in his game and the understanding as well, whether it’s playing in a two or a three (in midfield).

“To come in and show belief in himself, it shows you nothing really fazes him,”

As well as the lofty acclaim by Brown with Miller, when comparing the Scotsman’s season stats against Doyle’s, it proves where the best value lies.

• READ MORE: Forget Joe Gelhardt, Birmingham City and Wrexham must target ‘outstanding’ Premier League starlet instead

Lennon Miller’s 2024/25 statistics compared to Tommy Doyle’s

Not only does the Scottish starlet trump Doyle in a litany of metrics from last season, there is also an unseen advantage for Wrexham, regarding a criticism of Doyle’s game.

First of all, Miller beats Doyle decisively in crucial central midfield statistics from the recent campaign, although admittedly there is a discrepancy between the Scottish Premier League and the English top flight.

Doyle’s crunch talks with Wolves boss Vitor Pereira have seen the former Sheffield United loanee’s future lie away from Molineux, with Pereira questioning Doyle’s physicality.

Pereira said via the Express and Star: “In my opinion he’s missing the physicality to face this league, we are not a team to have 80 per cent of possession, so he has problems. We need to run a lot and he’s missing this physicality,”

Doyle’s move to Birmingham makes sense, given the Blues averaged 67% possession last season and will look to play that way next term in the Championship.

Wrexham, however, were 15th in League One’s average highest possession on 48%.

With Doyle, therefore, more suited to Birmingham than Wrexham anyway, this further proves why the Red Dragons must target Miller in the wake of their failed ploy for Doyle.

Although the Red Dragons would face competition from Celtic and Sunderland for the highly-coveted youngster’s services, with his current Motherwell deal set to expire next summer.