Wrexham’s A-list owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, have been quoted a hefty sum to secure the services of Chelsea star Raheem Sterling. The Welsh club celebrated promotion to the Championship after a resounding 3-0 victory against Charlton Athletic on Saturday.
The Red Dragons are now eyeing potential big-name signings to bolster their squad for an audacious Premier League push. While luring Sterling, who is currently on loan at Arsenal, down a league might seem far-fetched, Gunners icon Emmanuel Petit has hinted that the forward may need to step down to revive his stuttering career after a lacklustre season with just one goal. Petit said that Sterling could be tempted to Wrexham if Reynolds and McElhenney can conjure up a ‘great package’, despite his hefty £325,000-a-week wages at Chelsea.
“Chelsea would be happy to let Raheem Sterling go with only a year left on his contract, the issue for Wrexham would be how much the wages are,” said Petit in a chat with BesteOnlineCasinoNederland.
“He is probably on over £300,000 a week and Wrexham would have to offer him a great package to convince him to sign. It would be interesting to see, but Ryan Reynolds would have to get the chequebook out. When it comes to Sterling in the Premier League, we all know he isn’t the same player he once was.”
Wrexham, amidst the jubilation of their third consecutive promotion, have been rumoured to be eyeing up moves for marquee players such as Jamie Vardy and Kevin De Bruyne. The club’s top earner is currently ex-Premier League forward Jay Rodriguez, who pockets £15,000 weekly from his January switch from Burnley.
If Wrexham are to chase a star like Sterling, owners Reynolds and McElhenney would need to approve a hefty payroll hike, risking a potential breach of profitability and sustainability (PSR) rules. Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson has highlighted the need for recruitment that fits the team ethos rather than just splashing out on top tier stars.
Reflecting on their successful League One campaign, Parkinson said: “I think that a lot of tough decisions will be made this summer, in terms of who we bring in and how we add to this fantastic squad of lads we’ve got, but let’s see if we can build a squad to compete at that level.
“I think it’s interesting because the jump in salaries is incredible, mind-blowing. Even coming up to this level [League One], the jump to get players of Championship quality is expensive but obviously with the next level, I don’t think people outside football quite realise.”
He added: “They think players in League One must be multi-millionaires, but the drop-off from what people read about Premier League players when they come down, is huge.
“That is a challenge, but what we’ve always tried to do is make sure the culture in the club is right and I think that’s key – no superstars, no egos in the dressing room and we’ve got to try and get that balance right again. You always need extra quality when you go up a level to make sure the right people come into the building.”
Parkinson also revealed that he has not yet had discussions with the owners regarding transfer plans for next season. He mentioned that such conversations would take place only after a budget is established, as Wrexham prepare to compete at a higher level.
“We haven’t really spoken about anything,” Parkinson said. “We’ve always got our eye on players who are free transfers and are going to be available and will continue to do that but I think in football, recruitment it is about getting a lot of tight decisions right.
“To hold our nerve and get the right players in made the difference. I’m very pleased with that. We need to evaluate in terms of the budget, the level of wages that players are going to demand and enhance that quality with the culture and what we have built here.”
Content Source: www.express.co.uk