Lyon midfielder Pavel Sulc has confirmed that Wrexham made a club-record £35 million bid to sign him last month, but he turned down the move as he "didn't feel like going to a small town in Wales".
The 25-year-old, who was named the Czech Footballer of the Year last year, was the subject of much transfer interest during the summer window, with Premier League clubs including Leeds United, Everton and Aston Villa all reportedly making enquiries and European giants Juventus making contact over a possible deal.
Record bid for Czech international
However, it was reported towards the end of the window that Wrexham were plotting to pull off a major coup and lure Sulc to the Championship in a record deal.
Lyon were understood to have demanded the £35 million sum for the attacking midfielder's services, which would have seen the Welsh club smash their own transfer record. It would have also been by far the most expensive transfer in Championship history, with that record broken last month when West Ham paid £22 million for Celtic midfielder Arne Engels.
However, a move for Sulc ultimately never materialised, with the Czechia international staying put at the Ligue 1 side on a contract that runs through to June 2029.
Player explains his decision
The player has now lifted the lid on Wrexham's interest in signing him, confirming that an offer in the region of £35 million was made but admitting that he was not keen on the move.
"I asked the managers if I could only receive really serious things, not hypotheses or gossip," he told Czech outlet Seznam Zpravy.
"Lyon also played a crucial role in this, as they had to consider the amount of the offer. None seemed high enough to sell me. Wrexham offered the most. They talked about a billion koruna (£35 million)."
Asked what he made of Wrexham's offer, Sulc added: "Honestly? Wrexham is a cult club with a Hollywood fairytale story, but I didn't feel like going to the Championship or a small town in Wales."
"I hope that doesn't sound too condescending."
Juventus interest
However, the midfielder admitted that he "certainly wouldn't be against" a move to Juventus, but the Italian side did not make a high enough offer for Lyon to accept.
"When Juventus called, I was a bit dreamy," he said. "Great club, fantastic history, beautiful stadium, Italy, big Czech footprint."
"That's something that my girlfriend Natali and I would definitely like a lot. If the clubs agreed, I certainly wouldn't be against it. But the offer wasn't high enough, so it was over. I was still focused on Lyon the whole time, to be as valuable as possible."
