Wrexham lands a big-money deal with a Premier League club for their third signing this summer!
Wrexham have finally solved a problem they’ve had since last season by agreeing a deal with a Premier League club for their third signing this summer.
So far, the Red Dragons haven’t made many big moves in the transfer window, similar to some other teams in the Championship.
They started by signing left-back Danny Imray from Crystal Palace for about £5 million at the end of July. The 23-year-old impressed last season on loan at West Bromwich Albion, another Championship club.
Then, Wrexham signed midfielder Ben Whiteman from Preston North End for £3 million. Whiteman was the captain at Preston and even told his old manager, Paul Heckingbottom, he wouldn’t play for them anymore once he heard Wrexham wanted him.
Both players made their first appearances in Friday’s 1-0 Carabao Cup loss against Middlesbrough. Imray started and played 65 minutes, while Whiteman came on as a substitute in the 72nd minute.
Now, Wrexham is close to finishing a third deal before the Championship season starts this weekend. Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie says they’ve agreed an £8 million fee with Sunderland to sign goalkeeper Anthony Patterson.
The club record transfer so far is the £7.5 million they paid for forward Nathan Broadhead last summer, which could rise to £10 million with add-ons. It’s not clear if those add-ons have been triggered yet.
Wrexham’s goalkeeper situation has been a bit tricky since last season ended. Manager Phil Parkinson dropped Arthur Okonkwo and brought in Danny Ward for the last four games. During pre-season, Okonkwo and Ward shared games, with Ward starting in Friday’s loss to Middlesbrough.
Patterson, 26, brings plenty of Championship experience, having been Sunderland’s main keeper for three straight seasons before they moved up to the Premier League. Last summer, Sunderland signed Dutch keeper Robin Roefs, who became the new first choice. After sitting on the bench for a while, Patterson went on loan to Millwall in January, playing 16 games and helping them reach the play-offs.
Now, Patterson will join Wrexham. The club had been linked with Ipswich’s goalkeeper Alex Palmer, but it looks like they’ve made up their mind.
Wrexham start their Championship season with a derby away game at Cardiff, who were promoted last season under former Manchester City academy boss Brian Barry-Murphy. They then play two home games against Watford and Birmingham City, before visiting Millwall.
After another derby away game at Swansea, Wrexham host two teams relegated from the Premier League – Burnley and title favorites West Ham – at the Racecourse Ground.
Phil Parkinson’s team will be eager to do better than last season, where they finished seventh and just missed out on the play-offs by one point and position on the last day.