”They need to show success” - Wrexham AFC spending prediction made ahead of League One campaign | OneFootball

Wrexham AFC's first season back in the EFL went exactly as many would have wanted, with the club finishing in second place in League Two, behind champions Stockport County.

The Red Dragons have received plenty of investment since Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney became owners of the Welsh side, and with that they have seen success.

Successive promotions from the National League, and now League Two, have been aided by the heavy investment made into the side.

Since the high-profile duo took charge in 2022, Wrexham have brought in plenty of experienced EFL faces, such as Ben Foster, Paul Mullin, Ollie Palmer, James McClean and Steven Fletcher, to name a few.

All these players have played a huge role in either the promotion from the National League in 2023, or the promotion to League One this season.

However, with another rise up the leagues, more investment is set to come, and a financial expert in football, Dr Rob Wilson, has offered his opinion on what will need to follow to make sure the Welsh side's success remains sustainable.

Wrexham will "keep spending" in League One

Dr Rob Wilson, Football Finance expert and Professor of Economics at Sheffield Business School, has today given his thoughts on what will happen, and what will be needed, in order for Wrexham's spending to be both successful over the next season, but equally sustainable.

Wilson said, via OLBG: "I think Wrexham will keep spending. I think they will keep spending based on the FFP regulations based on League One.

"They will look to try and generate sporting advantage, so they can keep their journey going.

"The reality is, they've got TV cameras watching them, and they need to show success, not failure."

Prediction is good news for Wrexham fans

Wilson's prediction makes for positive hearing for Wrexham fans, as it will likely quell any fears.

For the majority of this season, angry noises from fans elsewhere in the EFL have accused Wrexham of continuous spending without any regard for how it aligns with current PSR (profit and sustainability rules) and FFP (financial fair play) regulations.

However, a statement released by the club in March, seems to back up Wilson's statement of generating sporting advantage by revealing that "income generated by the Club is now sufficient to meet the operational costs of the Club going forward."

Further on in the statement, the club revealed that "year-on-year income comparisons since the takeover show the potential of the Club. These will significantly increase again for the year ending June 30, 2024, following promotion and the continued popularity of Welcome to Wrexham."

This essentially means that there is going to be money available this summer that won't be controlled, therefore giving Wrexham the opportunity to spend and strengthen ahead of their campaign in the third tier without worry that rules are being violated.

Early Wrexham AFC planning for next season

Planning is now likely at full steam ahead of next season, with the Red Dragons wanting to make sure they prepare well for the challenges of League One.

Part of this planning is the release of players at the end of their contracts that Phil Parkinson and Wrexham don't feel will impact the squad in a higher league, and recently, Wrexham announced who would be departing.

Two of these players are Ben Tozer and Ryan Tunnicliffe, who were both crucial in each of the promotions for the Welsh side. Both earn a decent wage at Wrexham (according to Capology estimates), so their release will free up funds that can be spent on bringing in suitable replacements and further additions.

The club will have to be creative then in this window to make sure they do recruit quality, and spend their money wisely, in order to both stay in League One beyond the end of next season, and not plunge themselves into financial turmoil, whilst also managing to continue on their epic trajectory.

All eyes will remain firmly on the Hollywood-backed side throughout this summer.