This article is part of Football League World's'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Wrexham are one of two League One sides eyeing a move for Manchester United academy forward Ethan Wheatley.
According to The Wrexham Insider, the Red Dragons face competition from promotion rivals Stockport County in the race to sign the teenage attacker.
The 18-year-old has yet to make his major breakthrough at Old Trafford, but has already earned three first-team appearances in the Premier League.
Wheatley has so far scored five goals from seven games in the Premier League 2 this year, but now may be ready to make a step up into the men's game and leave developmental football behind.
League One standings 2024-25 (As of December 9th)
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Wrexham AFC: Phil Parkinson issued Ethan Wheatley warning
phil parkinson
When asked about the possibility of signing Wheatley in January, FLW’s Wrexham fan pundit Liam Grice warned the club against bringing him in.
He expressed his concern about the player’s lack of experience, although admitted it is an area of the team he would like to see improved in the winter market.
“I think it’s definitely an area we need to strengthen in January, no doubt,” Grice told Football League World.
“I just feel that with his inexperience, he maybe wouldn’t be the right player to come in and contribute effectively mid-season.
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“There’s no doubt there’s a great player there.
“Obviously, being one of the best players in the Man United academy would translate to being one of the great players in League One.
“We’ve seen that with Louie Barry at Stockport, but I just don’t know if he’ll have the pedigree to do it in this league.
“It’s a very physical league, and I think someone with a bit more experience, a bit more know-how of how to get goals, because that’s what we’ve been lacking recently, would benefit the side a lot.”
Ethan Wheatley addition would give Wrexham something different up-front
Ethan Wheatley playing for Manchester United
Wrexham adding another forward to their ranks in the new year would make a lot of sense, as they’re lacking a consistent goal-scorer with Jack Marriott’s injury.
Phil Parkinson’s side will need consistent goals if they’re to compete for automatic promotion to the Championship this season, and January is a great chance to bring somebody of that calibre in.
While there are a lot of unknowns regarding Wheatley’s capacity to do this, it might still prove a risk worth taking.
He has shown a lot of promise at underage level, and has the potential to play an important role in the League One promotion race, if signed by Wrexham or Stockport.