Wrexham may recruit ten strikers to partner Paul Mullin

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, the owners of Wrexham, are not accustomed to not getting their way. However, they recently suffered a serious transfer setback when Andy Cook, a star player for Bradford City, agreed to a new contract with the Bantams.

Cook, who led League Two in scoring last year, was heavily favored to sign for Wrexham this summer in a move that would have matched Paul Mullin's entry into the team. Mullin was a former fourth-tier Golden Boot winner who scored 32 goals to propel Cambridge United to promotion in 2020–21 but chose to join Phil Parkinson's Robins instead of accepting the offer to play in League One.

At the SToK Racecourse, Cook and Mullin up front would have ensured a barrage of goals, but it appears that Wrexham will have to focus on other aims. For Parkinson's benefit, he will soon have a pay budget that will probably exceed that of the club's promotion competitors.

Alfie May

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Alfie May has been extremely significant for Cheltenham over the past few seasons, and his importance cannot be overstated. His goals helped propel his new side into the playoff spots during the Covid-affected second half of the season after joining the Robins in January 2020.

They launched the next campaign in response after failing to be promoted. And League One is where May has really come to life. He scored 20 goals in each of the 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons, finishing the most recent with a goal against Charlton at home on the last day.

If it was the last time I ever played for Cheltenham Town, scoring with my final touch was a terrific sensation, and it has been a joy, May said after the game, dropping huge transfer hints as well. I am really grateful to everyone at the club. My future will now be quite uncertain, but the club is aware that I will always have a particular place in my heart for it. In football, anything can happen, and although I would dearly love to end my career here, I need to go on.

It's not hard to understand why Wrexham and May have been used in connection for some time. His goal total speaks for itself, but he also performs at his best when paired with another striker, a system Parkinson has liked since taking over.

Although there will be other suitors, this move makes a lot of sense, and Wrexham are probably the favorites to get him this summer.

Curtis Main

Another player with whom Wrexham has been associated since the start of the summer transfer period is Main. A former journeyman in the Football League, he has built himself a respectable reputation since choosing to go north to Motherwell in 2018 and has since been offered contracts with Aberdeen and St Mirren.

But it appears that Main's stay in Scotland is coming to an end. According to Stephen Robinson, manager of St Mirren, "Curtis is very unlikely to stay." "You need to just confess that you are not going to get there when you are getting double and triple your money offers in England's League One and Two. Curtis has been fantastic for me and great every time he's played, so he's earned the right to perhaps make one more significant move.

More of a coordinator than a pure goal scorer, Main. Despite never scoring more than ten goals in a single league season, he has always been well-liked by managers because of his relentless work ethic, strength, and link-up play. Main could be the greatest choice if Wrexham is seeking for someone to bring out the best in Mullin, much as Ollie Palmer and Elliot Lee did. He's also transferable at no cost.

Omar Bogle

Nobody anticipated that Bogle would respond to the boos he was receiving from Newport County supporters following a 15-match goalless streak by scoring 17 goals to conclude the season, placing him fourth in League Two's top scorers.

In February, Bogle finally ended his goalless streak when he scored twice against high-flying Stevenage. Following the game, he talked about the psychological toll that the boo boys had taken on his well-being.

It's difficult to hear, but with time—it's been more than a month—I've become numb to it. Even on Tuesday, at the start of the game, I heard some [shouts]. At first, it got in my head, but now it sounds like water off a duck's back. People becoming upset with me, clapping, and cheering when I'm pulled off is something I've never experienced before. You simply need to maintain your fortitude, and the only way I can reply is by putting in big efforts and scoring goals. I simply have to carry out my duties, he replied.

It takes genuine strength of character to recover and complete the season so well, as seen by the seven goals he scored in County's final eight games. This may have surprised some people in north Wales. But the Exiles won't let him leave without a battle. Additionally, his inconsistent scoring raises some questions, especially given that at the age of 29, he is unlikely to make significant progress.

Gareth Bale

These rumors just won't stop. An innocent McElhenney joke that turned into actual transfer speculations in the late spring required Gareth Bale's representative to publicly state his client's viewpoint over a transfer to Wrexham.

Even though these remarks appeared to put an end to the transfer issue, the rumors have continued to circulate. While much of this commotion is just Robins supporters wishing for the move to happen, Wrexham's tale has shown us over the past several years that nothing is ever certain.

Just think of the number of goals Bale might score in the fourth division of British football, even if he doesn't practice and merely plays for 60 minutes.

Nick Powell

The inherent skill of Nick Powell has never been questioned. After making a name for himself at Crewe Alexandra, Manchester United swooped in to sign him. The notorious Powell tenure at Old Trafford was marred by allegations of his careless approach to preparation and training.

The difference between Powell's skill and professionalism was arguably best expressed by Gary Caldwell, Powell's manager at Wigan: "He's somebody you have to constantly challenge, the game comes too easily to him sometimes." He is so good that if you are only performing a simple practice, he could nearly become bored.

Powell first had flashes of talent when playing with the Latics, but injuries frequently cut short his time there. Similar events occurred at Stoke City, where the Potters decided not to extend the mercurial attacking midfielder's contract this summer in order to restock their roster.

If Powell were to sign with Wrexham, he would undoubtedly seek the biggest salary in the league, but the expense would probably be justified. A barrage of goals would be scored if he were placed in the gap behind Mullin.

Ali Al-Hamadi

Few attackers in this age range have more potential than Ali Al-Hamadi if Wrexham wishes to hire younger players. The Iraqi international, who was barely 21 years old, scored 10 goals in 19 games for AFC Wimbledon in the 2022–23 season.

The fan-owned Dons are not exactly loaded with cash either, so if Wrexham were to try and recruit Al-Hamadi, they could easily give him a greater salary. However, according to sources, they may have to contend with teams like Burnley and Sheffield Wednesday, albeit those teams' objectives may have changed as a result of their respective promotions.

Al-Hamadi is a player who can score many different types of goals, but a poacher is perhaps the best way to characterize him. He is impossible to defend against because of his mobility within the box, and he enjoys receiving crosses.

Gary Madine

Gary Madine, a journeyman in the Football League, is now free to sign with any team after Blackpool decided not to extend his contract at the conclusion of the 2022–23 season. Although he has had off-field issues as well, he has a respectable career goal total.

He was charged with inflicting real bodily injury in 2010 and given a 250-hour community service requirement. Three years later, for attacking two guys in a Sheffield nightclub, he received an 18-month prison term.

While he has been out of trouble since, Wrexham, a team more cognizant than most of how the public perceives them, might face PR problems as a result of his arrival.

Madine fits the mold of the usual target man in terms of what he could provide the team. He is physically strong and has the ability to score goals on his own as well as set up his strike partner.

Mark Harris

According to several sources, Reynolds and McElhenney want to increase the number of Welsh players they sign in order to cement Wrexham's reputation as one of the top teams in the nation. Additionally, it would be a strong move to kidnap a young striker from Cardiff.

Mark Harris has spent a few seasons mucking around with the Bluebirds' first squad without ever truly lighting up the globe with his goal-scoring. In 38 games last season, often as a substitute, he scored just three goals. Although Harris played wide for a chunk of his minutes, his return was not stellar; nonetheless, his tenacity and pace more than makeup for this.

He has received a new contract offer from Cardiff, but nothing is official. If a deal cannot be reached, he will become a free agent, making Wrexham see him as an intriguing alternative.

Harris spent some time with the club on loan during the 2019–20 season, and he probably wouldn't contemplate moving down to League Two unless Wales manager Rob Page assured him that it wouldn't harm his prospects of playing for his country.

Connor Wickham

Connor Wickham is another Cardiff player whose contract expires on June 30. Wickham, who is only 30 years old, has already played in more than 100 Premier League games, most recently in 2019 for Crystal Palace after previously shining for Sunderland.

Wickham has been hopping through League One and Championship teams in more recent years, spending time with Sheffield Wednesday, MK Dons, Forest Green, and most recently, Cardiff.

His pedigree is undeniable, but recent injuries have been a major issue. Wickham is an energetic attacker who can go into the channels to expose the opposition and open up scoring opportunities.

In League Two, he would be unstoppable if he can keep up his fitness. Wrexham would run a risk by signing him for a longer contract than a brief one.

Joe Taylor

Over the past several years, Joe Taylor has finished a rags-to-riches tale that is comparable to Wrexham's. King's Lynn, his parent club, sold him to Peterborough in November 2021 after he made an impression while on loan at non-league Wroxham, where he scored 20 goals in just 11 league games.

However, Luton Town acquired him in January 2023 for an unknown sum, thus he didn't stay there for very long. He has made a few substitute appearances since coming to assist the Hatters in earning an improbable promotion to the Premier League. The play-off final versus Coventry was where he made some of his most significant contributions. There, he saw what would have been the winning goal be disallowed for handball before coolly converting his penalty in the shootout.

Due to Luton's promotion, Taylor's chances of making the first team for the upcoming season are slim. He may be given the opportunity to go on loan, and Wrexham could be enticed to sign the Wales Under-21 international to pair with Mullin this year. It will be challenging to convince Taylor to join the team at Kenilworth Road, as he will undoubtedly be trying to do.