Wrexham are pushing to sign Norwegian centre-back Henrik Falchener from Viking Stavanger, with a bid that would smash their transfer record already rejected.
According to The Athletic, the Welsh club have had two offers turned down by the Norwegian champions, the most recent worth £8.1m including bonuses. That would represent a club-record fee for Wrexham.
However, the deal is far from complete, as Viking are determined to keep the 23-year-old for their two-legged Champions League final qualifying tie against Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb.
Champions League tie in the balance
The first leg is in six days' time, on Tuesday, August 18, in Zagreb, with the second leg at home in Stavanger on Wednesday, August 26. Should Viking win the tie, they will be a UEFA Champions League side for the 2026/27 season.
Wrexham broke their club-record transfer just this week, signing Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson for £8m. That exceeded the £7.5m initial outlay for Welsh international Nathan Broadhead last summer, although that fee was set to rise with add-ons.
Falchener joined Viking from second-tier Norwegian side Egersunds for just €250,000 in January 2025. The 6ft 4in centre-back has two international caps for Norway and was named in Stale Solbakken's 26-man squad for the FIFA World Cup this summer.
Wrexham's promotion push
The Red Dragons finished seventh on their return to the Championship, their first season in the second tier since 1981/82. They finished just two points behind Hull City in sixth place and missed out on the play-offs, with Hull going on to win them and secure Premier League status.
Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham harbour those same ambitions, with the fire burning inside to complete their 'Hollywood fairytale' story. Speaking to Sports Illustrated recently, club co-owner Reynolds said: "Last year we arrived in the Championship and had a few months to build an entire Championship roster."
"Phil, Michael (Williamson) and Shaun (Harvey) did a great job, and we came up just short of the play-offs. This is a different brief this season," he continued. "Like a home renovation show... this episode is about making the kitchen work better rather than doing a whole-house renovation."
True to his words, Wrexham have been slower out of the blocks this transfer window, with just one signing before August. However, they could hardly have been faster than last year's summer window, in which they purchased 13 players totalling more than £30m.
Preparations have ramped up, though, with their sights firmly set on the Premier League. There have been arrivals of Danny Imray from Crystal Palace for £5.1m, Preston North End captain Ben Whiteman for £3m and Anthony Patterson for £8m. Should a deal be struck for Falchener, the Welsh side would have eight centre-backs on the books, though Conor Coady is earmarked for a loan away.
