Wrexham are on the verge of smashing their transfer record for the second time in a week, with Manchester City defender Callum Doyle set to join in a deal worth up to £8million.
The 21-year-old centre-back is poised to become Phil Parkinson’s 10th signing of a remarkable summer, asWrexham continue to reshape their squad for life in the Championship.
Should the deal be finalised, Doyle would surpass the £7.5m fee paid for Nathan Broadhead only days ago, underlining the scale of investment being made at the Racecourse Ground.
The club have already spent heavily this summer, bringing in the likes of Lewis O’Brien, Conor Coady, Kieffer Moore, George Thomason and Ryan Hardie, while Liberato Cacace and Broadhead had each briefly held the club’s transfer record in recent weeks.
With Doyle’s arrival, Wrexham’s outlay is set to climb towards £30m — making them the Championship’s biggest spenders.
Doyle, who has yet to play a senior game for City, comes with extensive experience at second-tier level, having racked up more than 100 appearances across loan spells with Sunderland, Coventry, Leicester and Norwich.
He has won promotions with Sunderland and Leicester, while also reaching the play-off final with Coventry.
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A natural left-sided centre-back, he is expected to add balance to a defence that has already leaked goals in defeats to Southampton, West Brom and Hull at the start of the campaign.
Sheffield United and Rangers had shown interest in the England Under-21 international earlier in the summer, but Wrexham have now stolen a march in negotiations and are confident of completing the signing.
For Manchester City, Doyle’s sale continues a summer strategy of cashing in on academy talent.
James McAtee has already joined Nottingham Forest in a £30m deal, while Jacob Wright, Maximo Perrone and Farid Alpha-Ruprecht have also been moved on, as Pep Guardiola’s side trims its squad while raising funds.
For Wrexham, however, the deal is another statement of intent from owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Having guided the club to three successive promotions — a feat unprecedented in English football’s top five divisions — the pair are now making sure Parkinson has the resources to stabilise at Championship level.
Broadhead’s capture last week was described as a game-changing moment for the club.
If Doyle follows through the door as expected, Wrexham will have rewritten their transfer record three times in a single summer — proof that the Hollywood-fuelled project shows no sign of slowing down.
