**Wrexham Prepare Contingency Plan as £7.5m Nathan Broadhead Deal Stalls**
Wrexham AFC, buoyed by back-to-back promotions and the global spotlight thanks to celebrity co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, are aiming high as they prepare for life in the Championship. However, the club’s pursuit of Wales international Nathan Broadhead, in what would be a record £7.5 million signing, has hit a roadblock, prompting manager Phil Parkinson and the board to line up alternatives should the high-profile deal fall through.
The ambitious Welsh club has marked this transfer window with lavish spending, bringing in eight new faces as they look to fortify their squad for the season ahead. Backed by the deep pockets of their Hollywood owners, the Red Dragons’ transfer activity has reportedly soared into eight-figure territory — unprecedented for a club that, just a few years ago, was scrapping in the National League.
Broadhead, currently plying his trade at Ipswich Town, started his career in Wrexham’s academy and has been identified as the primary attacking target to spearhead their Championship campaign. Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna, aware of Broadhead’s wish for a new challenge, has been open about the Welshman’s desire to consider Wrexham’s offer. However, McKenna has made it plain that Broadhead’s departure will only be considered once Ipswich have strengthened their own attacking options, thus throwing uncertainty over the transfer.
With the situation becoming increasingly precarious as the clock ticks towards the transfer window’s closure on 1 September, reports have emerged that Wrexham are keeping tabs on Davis Keillor-Dunn of Barnsley. The versatile forward was a standout in League One last season, contributing 18 goals and five assists, and has the added lure of a previous stint with Wrexham in 2020. Keillor-Dunn, reportedly available for around £5m, could offer a more cost-effective solution should the Broadhead move fall flat.
It is understood that Parkinson is keen to avoid being left short-changed should the club’s headline transfer pursuit collapse late in the window. The manager has confirmed publicly that the club’s recruitment efforts are not over, stating, “We know the kind of template where we want the squad to look when we finish and we are working towards that. Sometimes patience is a virtue with these things.” Such comments reflect both the ambition and caution with which Wrexham are approaching this potentially transformative period.
Broadhead’s journey with Ipswich since his arrival from Everton in January 2023 has been marked by notable highs, including two promotions. However, the 27-year-old was limited to just seven Premier League starts last campaign. With Ipswich reluctant to lose an attacking asset without adequate replacement, Wrexham’s hopes may hinge on movements elsewhere in the market.
From a financial perspective, the mooted £7.5 million outlay for Broadhead would shatter all previous records at the Racecourse Ground. For comparison, Keillor-Dunn’s projected £5m fee would still represent significant investment for a club of Wrexham’s stature, underlining just how transformative the club’s ownership has been.
Broadhead, who netted 23 goals in 83 outings for Ipswich, remains publicly in the plans of his current manager, at least for the immediate future. McKenna revealed this week that “He’s been training and we’re short in those positions… He has missed some of the pre-season minutes, but he’s in our plans for the weekend and there’s every chance that we’ll need a strong contribution from him.”
The next few weeks promise to be a crucial juncture for Wrexham as they seek to finalise their squad for a long and challenging Championship campaign. Whether the club lands Broadhead, pivots to Keillor-Dunn, or surprises fans with another late addition, their high-profile rise and ambitious plans are set to keep supporters, and the wider footballing world, thoroughly engaged.
As Wrexham eye new signings, the significance of a well-executed Plan B is underscored — in football, as in showbusiness, the script rarely runs exactly as planned.