Wrexham are closing in on the signing of Southampton midfielder Will Smallbone as the Red Dragons look to bolster their squad, with another deal potentially paving the way
Wrexham's Championship rivals Southampton look set to make a £14million move that could pave the way for the Red Dragons to sign Will Smallbone. The Welsh club, owned by Hollywood A-listers Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, have been linked with a £7.5m bid for the Saints midfielder as the summer transfer window nears its end.
Despite already signing 10 new players since their promotion to the second tier in April, totalling approximately £23m, manager Phil Parkinson is still on the hunt for more talent before Monday's deadline. Wrexham have had a rocky start to their new season, managing to secure only one point from their first three matches.
Parkinson seems eager to bolster his midfield options by enticing Smallbone to the Racecourse Ground. As per the Irish Sun, Wrexham's chances of securing the 25-year-old have significantly improved as Southampton appear set to sign Finn Azaz from Middlesbrough.
The Saints have reportedly agreed to pay an initial £12m plus £2m in add-ons for the Republic of Ireland international, despite interest from Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Leeds United. Smallbone, who is also an international colleague of Azaz, has fallen out of favour at Southampton and hasn't played under manager Will Still this season due to a pre-season calf injury.
Since his debut in 2020, he has made 90 appearances and netted nine times after progressing through the club's academy. Smallbone made 18 appearances in the Premier League last season, netting once against Liverpool, as Southampton were relegated from the top tier.
He was instrumental for the Saints under Russell Martin as they were promoted from the Championship via the play-offs in May 2024, contributing seven goals and four assists. Wrexham are understood to be expecting a decision on the transfer by the end of this week.
Parkinson is keen to strengthen his midfield, having been associated with several potential recruits, including Welsh international and Rennes player Jordan James, and West Ham's Andy Irving.
Despite Wrexham's hefty spending this summer, Parkinson maintains that the club's owners have not imposed any unrealistic expectations on him. That is despite Reynolds and Mac openly expressing their long-term goal of propelling Wrexham to the Premier League.
Speaking to The Leader, Parkinson said: "One thing with Rob and Ryan is they have never spoken about putting pressure on us. The talk was about getting the squad and the template we set out in the summer and what we are working towards."
He added: "They are the conversations I had with Rob and Ryan, rather than, 'We are going to do this or we have got to do that.' That has never been the way the conversations have gone. Rob and Ryan have just been supportive to help us build a competitive team."
Meanwhile, three Wrexham stars have been called up to the Wales squad for the crucial World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan next Thursday. Goalkeeper Danny Ward, forward Nathan Broadhead and striker Kieffer Moore have all earned a spot in manager Craig Bellamy's 25-man squad, marking the first time Wrexham has had representation since 2010.