Preparing for life in the Championship is always a challenge, but for Wrexham, this summer is colossal as they get ready to make the jump up to a new division for the third year in a row.
Three successive promotions for the Red Dragons has seen them go from the National League to the very top division of the EFL in no time at all, with Phil Parkinson masterminding this incredible rise up the English pyramid.
However, the upcoming transfer window will provide a different challenge for the Welsh outfit, with the club needing to offload some of their promotion heroes from the past to allow them to bring in fresh faces with experience at this level and beyond.
Tom Cairney is just one name on Wrexham’s list, but their desire to bring in some older names from the Premier League does not stop at the Fulham midfielder and they are set to go toe-to-toe with Leeds United for Aaron Cresswell.
Wrexham are showing ambition that should make the Championship wary
Alan Nixon revealed on Sunday evening that the Red Dragons are showing an interest in the out-of-contract left-back, who featured for West Ham United for the final time at the weekend in a cameo appearance in a 3-1 win over Ipswich Town.
Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images
Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images
At 35, time is running out in the career of the former Tranmere Rovers man, but his experience is a huge pull and Parkinson seems to be intrigued by bringing in those who have spent the majority of their careers in the top flight.
However, Championship title winners Leeds are also keeping a keen eye on Cresswell, proving Wrexham’s ambition as they battle with a Premier League side for a player’s signature.
Clubs in the second tier will be wary of the financial backing that the Red Dragons have this summer if they are able to pull off the signing of the defender, and they will be competing for more stars as the transfer window progresses.
Phil Parkinson will need to fill his squad with more quality
While the starting XI that Wrexham possessed in League One was obviously of a very high standard, the squad as a whole does need improving on.
Paul Mullin’s future is up for debate, but players such as him are now on high wages at the Racecourse Ground and finding new clubs for those former stars will be tricky as they will have to take a drop financially to play at a lower level.
Wrexham will be a very interesting proposition next season, but unless they improve the quality of the squad throughout, there is a chance that they can still be left behind by those who are more established in the Championship. Therefore, they will need to find a way to ensure that they beat Leeds and other rivals to targets such as Cresswell.