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Lyon midfielder Pavel Sulc says he never had any desire to join "cult club" Wrexham or relocate to a "small town in Wales" during the summer transfer window.
The Red Dragons were searching for an attacking midfielder this summer and reportedly submitted a club-record offer to acquire Czech international Sulc. Reports indicated Wrexham tabled a staggering $46 million (£35 million) bid in a bold attempt to land the 25-year-old, but the player was never interested in making the switch.
Juventus also showed interest in Sulc but were unwilling to match Wrexham's offer, making a summer departure highly unlikely. The attacking midfielder ultimately remained at Lyon, where he has contributed three assists in five games during their unbeaten start to the new Ligue 1 season.
Why Pavel Sulc Turned Down Wrexham Transfer
Sulc stresses he means no disrespect toward Wrexham but acknowledges he had no desire to drop down to the Championship at this point in his career, having just represented Czechia at the World Cup and playing consistently in a top-five European league with Lyon.
Speaking earlier this week, the attacking midfielder looked back on the transfer window and outlined his reasons for rejecting a move to the Racecourse Ground.
"I asked the manager if I could only be told about really serious offers, not hypotheses or gossip," he told Seznam Zprávy. "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.
"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."
Sulc went on to reveal that his true ambition was to join Juventus, though those hopes were dashed when the Serie A giants refused to match the figure Wrexham had put on the table.
He added: "When Juventus called, I was a bit dreamy. 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."
Ultimately, Wrexham turned their attention to Sheffield United playmaker Callum O'Hare, signing him for an undisclosed fee reported to be around $9.5 million (£7 million) on the final day of the summer transfer window.