Wrexham eye up new target as £7.5m record transfer deal in danger of falling through

Wrexham might resort to a familiar face if their club-record £7.5million deal for Nathan Broadhead falls through. The Red Dragons have splashed the cash in the summer transfer window following their promotion from League One last season, with their total spending reportedly hitting eight figures.

Manager Phil Parkinson has been backed heavily by Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, bringing in eight new faces so far. The former Bolton boss said this week that more signings could be on the cards as he aims to assemble a squad capable of holding its own in the Championship.

The acquisition of a ninth player is on the cards as Wrexham chase Ipswich Town winger Broadhead, who began his football journey in the North Wales team's academy. If the move for the Welsh international gets the go-ahead, it would mark the third time Wrexham have broken their transfer record in the current window.

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Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna conceded this week that Broadhead has expressed a wish to move on. However, he was adamant that he wouldn't let the 27-year-old leave unless Ipswich's thin attacking ranks were bolstered.

While Wrexham are willing to bide their time in their pursuit of Broadhead, reports suggest they do have a contingency plan should the deal fall through. As per the Daily Mail, Barnsley's Davis Keillor-Dunn has caught the eye of Parkinson as a possible substitute.

The forward shone in League One last season, bagging 18 goals and dishing out five assists, and had a stint with Wrexham in the National League back in 2020. Keillor-Dunn could be a more budget-friendly choice than Broadhead, with the Barnsley Chronicle claiming that he could be available for £5m.

How long Wrexham are prepared to wait for a resolution on Broadhead's situation is still up in the air, but Ipswich manager McKenna recognised the player's eagerness to move during a press briefing on Wednesday.

The former Manchester United coach said: "(There's) no update from what I said last week, really, with Nathan. He's expressed his desire to look at another opportunity that's been presented to him.

"But at this moment with the position the club is in, it's not the right time or even a possible time for us to allow a good player to leave the building. We'll have to see how the situation plays out over the coming weeks."

In response to queries about whether Broadhead will play in Ipswich's first Championship match against Birmingham on Friday night, he said: "He's been training and we're short in those positions.

"He's missed some of the pre-season minutes, so he hasn't played quite as much, but he's in our plans for the weekend and there's every chance that we'll need a strong contribution from him."

Broadhead has emerged as a prime target for Wrexham as they seek to wrap up their transfer dealings before the window shuts on September 1. The forward joined the Tractor Boys from Everton for £1.5m in January 2023 and played a crucial role in their remarkable consecutive promotions from League One and the Championship.

During his stint at Ipswich, he has found the net 23 times in 83 outings, though he was restricted to merely seven Premier League starts last season. With Wrexham's pursuit of Broadhead still uncertain, Parkinson has acknowledged that his summer shopping spree remains incomplete.

"I don't think we are there yet where we need to be," he told The Leader. "We have made quite a few signings but we still feel we need to add in a few areas. We have been close to a couple of deals and then they didn't happen for whatever reason but we are working on a few things.

"We know the kind of template where we want the squad to look when we finish and we are working towards that. Sometimes patience is a virtue with these things."

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