The Wrexham management, Phil Parkinson, said the team will try to resolve the situation of its players who are not under contract “as soon as possible.”
The Welsh team, made famous by the documentary “Welcome to Wrexham,” has been promoted to League One. Its fan base spans the globe. This summer’s contracts for a number of Wrexham players expire.
“We’ve got a lot of players out of contract, so we need to sit down and resolve that,” added Parkinson.
“Our first priority is to show respect to the players who are not under contract. This year is different from last year in that we have more people out of contract.”It’s critical that we have those conversations as soon as possible because they are crucial.”
Parkinson and the Wrexham leadership, which is led by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, will have difficult choices to make in light of Wrexham’s consecutive promotions, as certain players may not be able to play in the future.
This summer, the following players will be available as free agents: midfielders Luke Young, who has played for Wrexham the longest, and goalkeepers Mark Howard, Rob Lainton, and Liam Hall; defenders Callum McFadzean, Aaron Hayden, Jordan Tunnicliffe, and Ben Tozer.
Arthur Okonkwo, the team’s first-choice goalkeeper, will also see his loan from Arsenal expire because his parent club has not yet extended the contract that ends this summer.
Parkinson reports that as the club works on plans for the upcoming season, he has meetings with Wrexham director Shaun Harvey and the owners planned.
“I have been very much focused on the team and getting the job done, but naturally conversations are always going on about budgets, whatever division we were going to end up in and possible players,” Parkinson explained.
“With that said, we are definitely ahead of schedule in those negotiations. Immediately after, the planning for hiring may begin. Our summer is going to be quite exciting, I think.
“The massive challenge for us is can we build this squad strongly to challenge in League One, and I am really looking forward to taking on that challenge throughout the summer months.”