Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson has given little away about his plans for the January transfer window but admits he is looking for improvement in his squad.
On Monday, it was announced that Luke Armstrong, who’s move to the Red Dragons famously failed on transfer deadline day, would join League One outfit Carlisle United.
After making an impression for Harrogate over the previous two seasons, Armstrong was one of Wrexham’s top transfer targets in the summer. Nevertheless, the Welsh team will now have to settle for less, as the striker has joined the Cumbrians.
Given the circumstances, it was somewhat unexpected, and now that the move has been completed, many questions have been raised about Wrexham’s plans for the January window.
With a game remaining, Parkinson’s team is currently six points behind Stockport County, who are atop the League Two standings. Since they were promoted after winning the National League last season, that is precisely where a lot of people expected them to be. Similar to the beginning of the season, they are now completely focused on promotion and consider anything less to be a failure.
Parkinson will undoubtedly be able to play with one of, if not the largest, budgets in the fourth division, despite the fact that they already have one of the strongest squads.
While an overhaul is by no means necessary, it would not hurt to add a few quality players in January. This was an item that the
“As our supporters are aware, we are constantly working to get better and are currently evaluating a number of situations, but we are keeping our cards close to the vest.”
Three players, Bryce Hosannah, Callum McFadezan, and Billy Waters, have not been able to play in League Two this season because Wrexham already has a squad larger than the 22-man limit set by the EFL.
As a result, a number of names may also leave Racecourse Ground in January, creating room in the roster for new players.
“We’re just evaluating the team as we go,”
“Once January 1st kicks in, we can then add those players back into the squad because the 22-man squad rule doesn’t apply through January. We have players returning from injuries and other players who haven’t even been in the 22-man squad.
We’re just keeping an eye on Fletch (Darren Fletcher), seeing how Barney (Ryan Barnett) appears when he returns, and exploring our options for January.
Author’s Perspective
It is not surprising that Parkinson is keeping things close to his chest given that the Luke Armstrong incident left him feeling a little embarrassed. Even though they may currently be in the automatic spots, a number of other clubs are closely pursuing them.
Although improvements might not be required, Wrexham will almost definitely be active in January given the budget, and bringing in the right players could help them challenge for the title.
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