Wrexham prepared to wait ‘for a bit more quality’

Manager Phil Parkinson is prepared to play a long game as he looks to bolster Wrexham’s squad for next season’s League One campaign.

Wrexham secured back-to-back promotions after finishing second in League Two and next season will play in the third division for the first time since 2005.

Parkinson said he was ready to wait for the right player, but added that Wouldn’t pay over the odds for new players this summer.

“You can get players early, but sometimes the ones you really want take a little longer to get,” Parkinson said.

“It’s a balance you have to get right.

“As James McClean, for example, did not come with us on the American trip and it took us until the start of the season to secure this signing.

“But obviously we were talking to him while we were in America.

“Certain situations with contracted players take time, other players without a contract have options and deliberate for longer than you would like.

“Sometimes it’s better to wait for a little more quality.”

Midfielder McClean joined from Wigan Athletic last August on the eve of the 2023-24 League Two campaign.

Wrexham returns to North America for a three-match tour in July

They will face Premier League clubs Bournemouth and Chelsea in the United States before traveling to Canada for the final game of the tour against Major League Soccer (MLS) side Vancouver Whitecaps.

Parkinson says expectations need to be realistic as Wrexham prepare for life in League One, a division that will feature Birmingham City, Huddersfield Town and Rotherham following relegation from the Championship.

“We are obviously ambitious and we will work hard to build a team that is competitive, there is no doubt about that,” said Parkinson.

“But we don’t want to get carried away by ourselves – we want to fly under the radar a bit in the summer and see what kind of quality players we bring in.

“I’ve spent the last few days looking at some League One games, the play-offs, the levels, the physical data we have available and where we need to be physically.

“It’s a whole series of qualities that we need to add to have another season that our fans can be proud of.

“Birmingham fans are already saying ‘we’re going to win the league next year, we’ll be back’, Huddersfield the same and Rotherham with Steve Evans there.

“I think those clubs and others – Charlton, Wigan Reading – teams that didn’t make the play-offs will have huge expectations placed on them next year.

“We are entering a different level of quality but also a different scenario to where we arrived this year with Notts County and instantly us and Notts County were the first to reach the top of the table.

“I don’t think we’re going to have that kind of external expectation.”