FLW’s Wrexham fan pundit has given his verdict on which free agents the club should look to sign this summer.
This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Wrexham are preparing for life in League One after their promotion from League Two.
The Red Dragons were only promoted from the National League in the 2022-23 season, but they seamlessly made the step up to the fourth tier, and they secured back-to-back promotions after a remarkable campaign.
Phil Parkinson’s side finished in second place behind champions Stockport County after accumulating an impressive total of 88 points, and they will play in League One for the first time since the 2004-05 season next term.
| League Two standings 2023/24 | ||||
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 1 | Stockport County (C) | 46 | 48 | 92 |
| 2 | Wrexham (P) | 46 | 37 | 88 |
| 3 | Mansfield Town (P) | 46 | 43 | 86 |
| 4 | MK Dons | 46 | 15 | 78 |
| 5 | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 5 | 71 |
| 6 | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 4 | 71 |
| 7 | Crawley Town (P) | 46 | 6 | 70 |
| 8 | Barrow | 46 | 6 | 69 |
It could be a busy summer at the Racecourse Ground, and Parkinson has already started rebuilding his squad, with Rob Lainton, Aaron Hayden, Callum McFadzean, Ben Tozer, Jordan Tunnicliffe and Luke Young among those to leave the club at the end of their contracts.
Wrexham are known to be ambitious under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, so they could target some high-profile players over the coming months as they look to be competitive in the third tier.
Wrexham fan pundit identifies three potential free agent targets
FLW’s Wrexham fan pundit Liam Grice says the Red Dragons are in need of a centre-back, a midfielder, and a striker this summer, and he believes Josh Knight, Jamie Lindsay, and Kayden Jackson would be the perfect additions for the club.
Knight starred for Peterborough United as they reached the League One play-offs this season, scoring six goals and providing four assists in 57 appearances in all competitions, but he is out of contract at the Weston Homes Stadium.
Posh have offered Knight a new deal, but the defender is also believed to have received a proposal from Bundesliga side Werder Bremen.
Lindsay was on Wrexham’s radar in January, and the Red Dragons were said to have been in negotiations with Rotherham United over a potential deal, but the move did not materialise.
The midfielder was offered a new contract by the Millers, but an agreement on personal terms could not be reached, and he has left the New York Stadium after scoring eight goals and providing six assists in 161 games in his five years at the club.
Jackson has been released by Ipswich Town after six years at Portman Road, during which time he scored 28 goals and registered 23 assists in 199 appearances.
The striker was not a regular starter in his final two years at the club, but he remained an important part of the squad as the Tractor Boys secured back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League.
Jackson spent the 2015-16 season at Wrexham, and Liam would like to see the Red Dragons attempt to bring him back to the club this summer, along with Knight and Lindsay.
“In terms of positions Wrexham need to strengthen this summer with the free agents that have become available now, we need a new centre-back, a striker and a box-to-box midfielder,” Liam said.
“Striker, I think you should never look back, but Kayden Jackson is a brilliant option at this level.
“Obviously, he’s just been promoted with the Premier League with Ipswich, but he’s been released now.
“He used to play for us, he’s a really good goalscorer at League One level so that’s an option.
“Centre-back, I think Peterborough’s Josh Knight.
“He may be just out of the realms of possibility, but aim big.
“He’s a very good defender at this level, he’s proven it over the last few seasons with Peterborough, and he’s out of contract.
“They’ve offered him a new contract, but he’s not accepted it yet, so I think if we can get our foot in the door, he’s a good option to go for.
“As for a midfielder, I think recently relegated Rotherham’s Jamie Lindsay.
“We were linked with him in January, we were supposed to pay a club-record fee for him, but the deal never materialised, so it makes sense to go back in for him now he’s a free agent to bolster the squad at a level that he’s quite familiar with having played for Rotherham in both League One and the Championship.”
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney facing their biggest Wrexham test yet
It is set to be an exciting summer for Wrexham supporters, and they will certainly make some strong signings, but it will be tough for them to make the step up to League One.
The third tier looks set to be incredibly competitive next season, and the likes of Birmingham City, Huddersfield Town, Rotherham, Bolton Wanderers, Peterborough, Barnsley, Blackpool, and Charlton Athletic will all be aiming to win promotion, so it will not be easy for the Red Dragons to challenge at the top of the division.
Parkinson will need to get his recruitment right this summer, and it is difficult to disagree with Liam that Knight, Lindsay, and Jackson would be excellent additions.
It seems unlikely that Wrexham would be able to convince Knight to join, but Lindsay and Jackson could be within reach, and both have achieved promotion from League One in their careers.
It will be intriguing to see the quality of player that the Red Dragons can attract to the club this summer, but they have demonstrated their pulling power previously, and they will be determined to make an impact in League One next season.
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