Phil Parkinson Reveals Wrexham's Secret Transfer Scouting Mission

Phil Parkinson has acknowledged that Wrexham will need to strengthen their squad once more this summer if they are to mount a serious promotion challenge to the Premier League next season.

The Red Dragons enjoyed a triumphant return to the Championship, competing in the second tier for the first time in 43 years. After a sluggish opening to the campaign, Wrexham found their rhythm and ultimately finished seventh in the standings, just two points adrift of Hull City in the final playoff spot.

Hull clinched promotion to the Premier League with a win over Middlesbrough in the playoff final at the weekend — a stark reminder of how narrowly Wrexham missed out on a fourth consecutive promotion.

While there was much to celebrate from Wrexham's finest finish in their 162-year existence, there is also a feeling within the club that a golden opportunity for promotion may have slipped through their fingers. Wolverhampton Wanderers, Burnley and West Ham United have all dropped out of the Premier League and will benefit from parachute payments next season, while Middlesbrough, Southampton and Birmingham City are also tipped as strong promotion candidates.

Phil Parkinson Eyes Squad Improvement

Wrexham shattered their transfer record on three separate occasions as part of a $45 million spending spree last summer, welcoming 13 new faces to the club. Seven of those summer recruits had represented their countries at international level, while six came with Premier League pedigree. The North Wales outfit also made three further additions during the January transfer window, investing an additional $6 million to bolster their promotion bid.

The Red Dragons are not anticipated to be as active in the market this summer, with the focus shifting toward quality rather than volume, though they could still make significant investments to attract players capable of driving their promotion aspirations.

"The encouraging aspect is that we've assembled a competitive Championship squad, and we head into the summer with that foundation in place," Parkinson told Leader Live.

"We are mapping out the blueprint for how we want the squad to look heading into next season and working toward constructing a group that can compete once again. We need to improve the squad as well, and that is something we will be pursuing. There will certainly be some new arrivals; exactly how many remains to be seen.

"As you'd expect, regardless of which division we were going to be in, we've been monitoring players over the past few months. We have a clear vision of where we need to get to, but as always — particularly with the World Cup — these things take time.

"We know the positions we'd like to address, but for now we want to keep that information internal and continue working the way we always do, trying to assemble a team and squad capable of being competitive again next season."

Every Player Wrexham Signed Last Season