Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are looking to take Wrexham to another level with further investment in the club being eyed.
The North American duo purchased the Red Dragons back in February 2021 for just £2m – the same figure they paid to make Sam Smith their record signing on January 31.
Over four years later, Wrexham’s valuation has skyrocketed, with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s club worth £100m earlier this year.
More recently, it was reported that Reynolds and McElhenney were looking to sell a stake, with a £350m fee mentioned.
Middle East investment in Wrexham has been mooted as a possibility, while the £350m valuation has been questioned.
A view of the NFL logo on a building during OTA's on June 18, 2025 at the Chiefs Training Facility in Kansas City
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Wrexham £350m valuation compared to £450m Crystal Palace deal
Rob and Ryan are two of many US-based investors working with English football teams. Another of those was John Textor, who has agreed a deal with the owner and chairman of the NFL’s New York Jets, Woody Johnson, to sell his 43 per cent stake in Crystal Palace, with the Eagles valued at around £450m.
We have now spoken exclusively to finance expert Adam Williams about the deal and what it could mean for Wrexham’s £350m valuation.
He said: “The deal that John Textor has agreed with Woody Johnson to sell his 43 per cent stake in Crystal Palace values the club at around £450m.
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“I think that’s useful context in establishing the value of Wrexham. They are said to be looking at fundraising with a value of £350m, so around £100m less than Palace. Significantly, that would be the value for a minority investment deal too, which is the same type of arrangement as Textor’s at Selhurst Park.
“Wrexham are expecting revenue of about £50m in the Championship next season. Palace’s turnover was £190m, with the vast majority of that coming from broadcasting.
“If Wrexham get promoted, then I’d expect their turnover to be similar, if not slightly higher, such is the strength of their commercial income. So in that sense, the valuation starts to make a little more sense.
“A valuation is essentially a bet on a club’s future cash flows and high you think they can go, offset by your expenses, your equity ratios and other metrics. Wrexham have huge potential in that sense, but it’s an awful lot of risk for a new investor to shoulder at a value of £350m.
“Unlike Palace, the brand is tied to the owners. If they one day lose interest or the commercial buzz fizzles out for whatever reason, they haven’t got the same history and brand IP that Palace have to fall back on.
“Palace are also a club that, whenever I speak to investors, are always pinpointed as one of the best prospects. They have got an unbelievable catchment area in terms of player recruitment and development, they’ve got the potential to sell a lot more tickets at an expanded stadium etc. Yes, that will come with costs, but their total infrastructure spending isn’t going to be as high as Wrexham’s to reach the same level.”
Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds celebrate on the pitch after the English National League football match between Wrexham and Boreham Wood.
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Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s ‘disruptive model’
Whether Wrexham are able to find new investors with such a high valuation remains to be seen.
The Allyn family have already come on board in the last 12 months, and speculation over a new stake sale has created a lot of hype around the Welsh side, which Williams believes is a reason the club’s valuation has increased so much.
He continued: “So I think the Textor stake sale probably hammers home the point that the £350m is far too steep for Wrexham.
“That said, these guys know what they’re doing. If they’re briefing journalists with this kind of info, they are creating more buzz about the club.
“I’ve seen so many conversations about whether they are worth this valuation, and that’s kind of the whole point. They make a lot of noise and that is partly why their value is increasing so expeditiously. It’s a new, disruptive model.”