Wrexham AFC’s pursuit of a new striker looks like it could potentially go to the wire during the current transfer window.
The Red Dragons have been linked with several forwards over the last few months as they look to upgrade their squad and maintain their encouraging start to life in League One.
Sheffield Wednesday’s Michael Smith is the latest player who Phil Parkinson is reported to be interested in bringing to the Racecourse, according to Football Insider.
However, as revealed by The Star, the two clubs are said to be some way off coming to an agreement.
Of course, Wrexham have been here before. In fact, it was only last summer when a move for Harrogate’s Luke Armstrong collapsed in the last few minutes of the window after a paperwork deadline was missed.
Fortunately, it did not come back to haunt them too badly on that occasion, but here Football League World explains why it’s important that they don’t repeat the same mistake this year.
Failed Armstrong signing was a source of embarrassment
Everything looked perfectly set for Wrexham to announce Armstrong on transfer deadline day last summer for what would have been a club record fee of £500,000 after fighting off interest from MK Dons.
For their part, Harrogate had already made the striker’s departure public, while the Red Dragons shared a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, teasing the signing.
However, as the minutes ticked beyond the EFL’s 11pm deadline and no official confirmation arrived, it soon became apparent that something was wrong.
A statement was later released by Wrexham, as reported by the Daily Mail, which said: “Wrexham AFC can confirm terms were agreed to sign Harrogate Town striker Luke Armstrong on transfer deadline day, with paperwork submitted for his signing.
“Unfortunately, the required documentation and clearance requests could not be completed in time and his registration has been rejected. As a result, Luke remains a Harrogate Town player.”
It was an embarrassing episode for the club who, despite their Hollywood riches, missed out on a signing due to a paperwork issue.
Ultimately, it didn’t matter too much as they later secured the services of former Premier League striker Steven Fletcher for free.
The veteran forward contributed eight goals as Wrexham gained automatic promotion to League One and the whole saga was largely brushed under the carpet.
Meanwhile, an expected second attempt to bring in Armstrong in January did not materialise, and he went on to join Carlisle United instead, scoring three times in the latter half of the season.
Smith saga threatens a repeat of last summer
Fast forward 12 months and it’s possible that Wrexham’s search for a striker could drag out to near the end of the window again.
Parkinson currently appears to be facing the same issue as Derby County boss Paul Warne when he tried to sign Michael Smith from Sheffield Wednesday last season.
The Rams’ manager was keen to bring the 32-year-old to Pride Park, but the large loan fee demanded by the Owls meant the deal was not done, as per the Derby Telegraph.
That Wrexham are also unable to agree terms suggests money could again be a major hurdle as they look for a target man to challenge Ollie Palmer for the number nine role.
While the club is not short of financial backing, Parkinson recently indicated that he is unwilling to pay over the odds for new recruits.
As reported by The Leader, he said: “When we target a player, we decide on where we feel that valuation is and more often than not we stick to it. That’s what we will continue to do.”
Parkinson must avoid tunnel vision in striker search
There are plenty of reasons why Smith would be an attractive signing for Wrexham, not least that he scored 20 goals for Wednesday in all competitions the last time he played in League One.
His height and physicality would also be a good foil for club talisman Paul Mullin up front.
However, it should not be ignored that Owls boss Danny Rohl has played Smith on three occasions already this season, with the striker scoring once and also providing an assist. It suggests his services might yet be wanted at Hillsborough.
Parkinson’s stance on not being held to ransom in his pursuit of a forward is to be admired.
But it does mean he will need to refocus his attentions elsewhere very quickly and avoid getting tunnel vision if he wants to avoid a repeat of last summer’s fiasco.
Leaving it too late to sign a player in such a key position is forgivable on one occasion, but twice could be fatal to Wrexham’s hopes of achieving an unprecedented third promotion in a row.
It’s therefore critical for Parkinson and the club that he doesn’t leave it until the last minute this time around to banish memories of his failed pursuit of Luke Armstrong once and for all.