Wrexham are paying Premier League-level wages as they push for success in the Championship, a club director has revealed. The Welsh side, owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, have been active in the transfer market this summer, signing six new players including Lewis O'Brien, Josh Windass, and George Thomason.
Club director Shaun Harvey disclosed on the Fozcast podcast that the club's wage bill has soared. 'Our wage bill per month now will be more than we paid for the whole time we were in the National League,' he said. Harvey explained that the club targets players used to playing a division higher, which now means Premier League-quality players demanding top salaries.
Despite the high spending, Harvey claimed the so-called 'Wrexham tax'—a premium paid to convince players to drop down divisions—is no longer necessary. 'That was worse in League One and League Two than it is in the Championship,' he said. 'We were having to persuade players who were better than the standard of the division we were playing in to drop down to play.'
New signing Lewis O'Brien said the club's rapid rise and the Disney+ series 'Welcome to Wrexham' attracted him. 'It's kind of crazy what's happened at Wrexham, it's surreal really,' he told The Leader. 'Once you see that and hear the club want to sign you, you want to be part of it.'
