Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds has revealed a shift in the club's transfer approach as they close in on their first signing of the window. Crystal Palace right-back Danny Imray is set to join the Championship side for £5 million, having been left out of the Eagles' squad for the pre-season Como Cup.
Imray, 23, spent last season on loan at Blackpool and West Bromwich Albion, helping the latter avoid relegation from the second tier. He will become Phil Parkinson's first acquisition as Wrexham aim for a fourth promotion in five seasons and a place in the Premier League.
Near miss last season
Wrexham finished seventh last term, two points behind sixth-placed Hull City, who gained promotion alongside Coventry City and Ipswich Town. The club had previously overhauled their squad with 13 senior arrivals after returning to the Championship for the first time in 43 years.
Despite the spending, Reynolds—who owns the club with Rob McElhenney—has ruled out a repeat of that frenzy. "Last year, we arrived in the Championship and had a few months to build an entire Championship roster," he told Sports Illustrated ahead of a friendly against Liverpool in New York. "Phil, Michael [Williamson] and Shaun [Harvey] did a great job, and we came up just short of the play-offs."
Quality over quantity
Reynolds added: "This is a different brief this season. Like a home renovation show... this episode is about making the kitchen work better rather than doing a whole-house renovation." Wrexham are targeting a goalkeeper, with Sunderland's Anthony Patterson (linked at £7m) and Everton's Mark Travers (reportedly £8m release clause) among the options.
Defender Harry Souttar, who wants to leave Leicester, is also of interest, but the Foxes' £10m asking price may be a hurdle. Meanwhile, Reynolds and McElhenney are said to have backed a club-record contract offer for free agent Bamba Dieng, a Senegal forward who left Lorient this summer.
