Wrexham’s spending moved into a new stratosphere Thursday when the team owned by Hollywood celebrities signed winger Nathan Broadhead from Ipswich in a club-record deal that could reportedly reach 10 million pounds ($13.50 million).
It took the Welsh club’s outlay in the transfer market to more than 20 million pounds ($27 million) in this window as Wrexham reshapes its squad for life in the second-tier Championship following an unprecedented three straight promotions.
The 27-year-old Wales international is a former Wrexham academy player and a versatile forward who was a fringe player at Ipswich in the Premier League last season.
“He’s a local boy who had a real desire to come and play for his hometown club," Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said in the team's announcement.
Among Wrexham’s other signings over the last couple of months is former England defender Conor Coady and New Zealand international Liberato Cacace. Lewis O'Brien also joined from Nottingham Forest for what was reportedly a club-record fee of around 3 million pounds ($4 million).
Wrexham, which started its Championship campaign last weekend with a 2-1 loss at Southampton after conceding two late goals, is owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and has gained outside investment via the New York-based Allyn family.
It is also the subject of the Emmy-winning “Welcome to Wrexham” documentary, which takes viewers behind the scenes at the club and has boosted the team's global appeal primarily because of the presence of Reynolds.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Steve Douglas, The Associated Press
