Could Wrexham really reach the Premier League?

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Rob McElhenney had been asked to sum up events at the Stok Cae Ras on Saturday as the north Wales club celebrated reaching the second tier of English football for only the second time in their history.

It is quite the statement, given the rapid rise under McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds has already seen Wrexham go from the lower end of the non-league fifth tier to one step away from the Premier League.

But the story appears far from over given the plans for the next steps, some taking place within hours of Phil Parkinson's side sealing an unprecedented third successive promotion.

"Four years ago, this man [McElhenney] said our goal is to make it to the Premier League," Reynolds told Sky Sports after the win over Charlton Athletic.

"And there was understandably a lot of titters, laughter and giggles - but it's starting to feel like a tangible thing that could actually come to fruition."

The success so far has long shown the A-list backed ambition is no joke.

But as they prepare to head to the Championship, do Wrexham have what it takes to compete with new rivals such as Leicester City, Southampton and West Bromwich Albion?

And can Wrexham really go up another level and make it to the Premier League?

Playing squad

"We always had the ambition to go as high as we could, but we have probably outstripped expectations – certainly in terms of the speed in which we have got here," says director Humphrey Ker.

"But that's testament to [manager] Phil Parkinson."

And the 'In Phil we Trust' mantra from the ownership looks set to continue after the 57-year-old sealed a sixth career promotion, now behind only Graham Taylor, Dave Bassett and Jim Smith (seven promotions) and Neil Warnock (eight) in the number of times he has taken teams up a division.

The former Bolton Wanderers boss has overseen a steady, stealth-like evolution of his squad each season – with the starting XI against Charlton only containing three who featured in League Two – all the while maintaining a team spirit that Ker says "has permeated through everything we've done in four years".

Some signings made over the past season were with the future in mind in terms of age and potential, such as ex-Arsenal goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo.

"They are Championship-ready players who can grow and develop," adds former Wrexham player and manager Andy Morrell, who also played Championship football with Coventry City and Blackpool.

"Ryan Longman, Max Cleworth, Lewis Brunt – and then added on that you have a sprinkling of players like Matty James and James McClean. Players who know what it takes – and also how to deal with the pressure and the spotlight that comes to playing for Wrexham these days."

Rather than ripping up the side, Morrell believes "three to five signings" could ensure Wrexham compete and try to gauge whether they need to invest more in the playing squad.

"They won't rush it, they will give players who won promotion a chance and use that momentum," he says.

"But they have the resources that if they find themselves with an opportunity, they can push the button to go again like they did in signing Sam Smith."

Budget

Smith – whose acrobatic goal helped deliver promotion and earn lavish praise from Reynolds – became Wrexham's record signing for a reported £2m in January.

Big money for a side operating on frees and non-contracts not so long ago, but small fry when it comes to pushing for the Premier League.

"Money talks in football," says former Wales and Wrexham captain Barry Horne. "The league table tends to tie itself to income and there's a correlation with the wage bill.

"But Wrexham already have that ability to compete."

That is because the club's most recent accounts – covering their season in League Two – show their revenue is already comparable to top-half Championship clubs.

And there's room for more, without much worry of Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) affecting things.

Though clubs with parachute payments from the Premier League will stand above, Wrexham will expect an uplift on the £26m that came through the doors in 2023-24.

Increased TV monies alone should boost that by £8m, before increased sponsorship revenue following yet another promotion.

High profile deals are expected to continue with the club making the most of their unique marketing model: a globally-screened documentary and the profile their ownership brings.

Shirt sales are already on a Premier League scale and reported pre-season games in Australia show ambitions to expand beyond just the US where every Wrexham game is screened live and attracts top-level audiences.

Talks have already outlined the kind of playing budgets required next year (they operated on around £11m in 23-24) and an acceptance that it will begin to edge towards the Championship average of around double that figure.

But there is also the fact that players are attracted to Wrexham not by just money, but by the ambition and excitement around the club.

So it does not mean Wrexham are about to spend silly money.

"People will talk about the money, but it's never been about blank cheques," adds Ker.

"The aim has always been to live within our means so the club doesn't suffer when Rob and Ryan move on, which will eventually happen even if it's decades from now."

Financial backing

Still, Wrexham are about to enter a world where annual eight-figure losses come as standard.

But Reynolds and McElhenney do have support on that front, as well as in terms of investing in other projects as the club tries to keep pace with its growth.

New director Kaleen Allyn and father Eric Allyn – whose entrepreneurial family sold the Welch Allyn medical diagnostic business for more than $2bn in 2015 – were among those celebrating at the Stok Cae Ras on Saturday and are excited for the club's future having become minority shareholders with a stake thought to be between 10-15%.

With a history of philanthropy and community investment around their New York State home, they also have the means to provide a crutch for the club's grand plans with Ker saying they have "warmly embraced the team and the town".

Further investment and equity from others if needed in time is not being ruled out, but only from those – like the Allyns – who will be emotionally, as well as financially, invested.

Off the field

Such money will be needed as the turbo-charged rise means Wrexham have their work cut out to catch up with the growth of the club.

Investment has been pushed towards improving the off-the-field workings of a club run by supporters less than five years ago, boosting staff and expertise on the business and commercial side of things.

Key infrastructure projects have been addressed, with a new training ground much-needed; the club currently utilise the Football Association of Wales' Colliers Park venue, but accept it is not sustainable.

There is a real awareness too of the necessity to improve the academy to speed up a production of home grown players to supplement signings and make more of the 'Wrexham-mania' among youngsters in a catchment area that has traditionally been a hotbed of talent - think Ian Rush, Mark Hughes and Neville Southall, and more recently, Harry Wilson and Neco Williams.