Just five Wrexham players remain from the squad Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney inherited as the club prepare for life in League One next season.
Wrexham have secured historic back-to-back promotions under Phil Parkinson and will be playing in the third tier for the first time in 19 years.
They did so after finishing second in League Two, racking up 88 points from 46 games.
Wrexham’s players are to share a huge bonus pot of more than £500,000 after a promotion, while a second trip to Las Vegas is said to be on the cards.
Although the current side would appear equipped to compete in League One, Parkinson has stressed the need to improve the squad as they progress through the divisions.
10 players could already be on the move as their contracts are due to expire following the conclusion of the campaign.
And Wrexham could be in a situation where they have just one player in their ranks from when Reynolds and McElhenney took over in the 2020/21 campaign.
When the takeover was finalised, of the current squad, only Luke Young, Rob Lainton, Jordan Davies, Jake Bickerstaff (currently on loan at Accrington Stanley) and Max Cleworth remain.
Young, Lainton and Bickerstaff are all soon to be out of contract, with the retained and released’ lists not likely to be disclosed just yet.
Academy graduate Cleworth, meanwhile, has a deal until 2025 and made 24 appearances last term.
Davies’ contract also runs until the same date but his future would appear to be a bit more unclear.
Wrexham’s Hollywood owners are believed to have invested £10 million into the club.
Their very first signing was centre-back Shaun Brisley, who joined from Port Vale in the summer of 2021.
He ended up making just three appearances and it was mutually agreed that his contract end a year early.
He left for Buxton in the National League and currently plies his trade with Alfreton Town.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have kept all five promises they made after buying Wrexham
Reynolds and McElhenney made five promises when they bought the National League team in 2021.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney made a number of “hard promises” when they walked through the doors at Wrexham, so we’ve decided to look back and see if they’ve worked out or not.
Back in February 2021, the Hollywood actors completed their highly-anticipated takeover of Wrexham, with the pair pledging a reported £2 million investment into the then-National League team.
In the coming days, they decided to release a mission statement on the club’s official website which detailed their goals, principles and promises for the coming years.
“We’re two people who’ve made a career of never taking ourselves too seriously. However, we realise taking stewardship of this great and storied club is an incredibly serious matter and something we don’t take lightly,” they said.
“Our goal is to grow the team, establish Wrexham AFC as a Premier League club, in front of increased attendances at an improved stadium while making a positive difference to the wider community in Wrexham.”
Here’s a breakdown of what was said and the results that followed.
First promise: A pledge to win
Reynolds and McElhenney wanted to reward the Wrexham supporters that have stood by the club through its history by “putting everything we have towards what all fans want most for their club, and that is to… win, win, win.”
And win they have. After achieving promotion to League Two following a record-breaking campaign in the National League, Phil Parkinson’s side earned back-to-back promotions this season.
Their promotion-winning campaign ended with a 2-1 victory over champions Stockport County. A sign of things to come?
Second promise: Team values
“We understand and respect the intense loyalty and love for this club and how it’s woven into the fabric of the town and its supporters.”
Reynolds and McElhenney expressed their desire to reinforce the values, traditions and legacy of the Wrexham community when they arrived at the Racecourse Ground.
As well as injecting a huge amount of cash into the club since making that statement, the Hollywood actors have followed up their words with actions, bringing in some of the Football League’s biggest names, including star striker Paul Mullin.
The pair have thrown themselves into life at Wrexham, engaging with the community and even learning the Welsh language. They’re also building a picturesque Memorial Park named after Reynolds in the local area.
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Third promise: Turning the team into a globally-renowned force
In the statement, Reynolds and McElhenney said they “don’t see why” the National League club couldn’t have a global appeal.
And it didn’t take long for their much-talked arrival to cast eyeballs on the third-oldest professional club in the country. In fact, Reynolds’ hit series about Wrexham on Disney Plus has raked in almost £4 million.
Fourth promise: Renovate The Racecourse Ground
Reynolds and McElhenney vowed to “explore the renovation of the Racecourse and improve the venue for the club, for international matches and “perhaps, the occasional Tom Jones gig.”
It was announced last year that a new 5,500-seater stand at the stadium had secured financial backing from Wrexham council.
According to the BBC, the council board will reallocate a ‘substantial amount’ of a £25 million Welsh government grant to the plan.
Fifth promise: Training facilities
Reynolds and McElhenney wanted to invest in a “permanent training facility that is worthy of an EFL club” after they walked through the door.
Back in February last year, Wrexham announced the completion of a new performance gym at the Racecourse Ground as they continue to work to enhance the off-field facilities at our stadium.
The new performance facility features elite performance equipment, and required a specialist floor installation which consisted of artificial turf and shock absorption flooring allowing the facility to be used for rehabilitation alongside strength and conditioning sessions
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