Wrexham, backed by Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, are said to be trying to secure the services of a current Premier League defender this summer
Wrexham's pursuit of Ben Davies is still alive despite Tottenham exercising the option to extend the defender's contract, according to reports. The Wales international's deal was due to expire at the end of this month, meaning the 32-year-old would've been allowed to leave for free on July 1.
However, Spurs have now chosen to add an extra 12 months on to his contract. Wrexham, owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, have been heavily linked with a move for Davies following their promotion to the Championship in April.
On the face of it, the decision represents a blow to the Welsh club's chances of signing him during the summer transfer window. But The Mail reports that Davies could still be allowed to leave over the next few months, subject to a reasonable fee being agreed.
It's claimed that Tottenham's readiness to let him go could also depend on whether they are successful in their bid to land Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite. Davies is currently Spurs' longest-serving player, having joined from Swansea City in 2014.
Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson is expected to be busy in the transfer window as he looks to strengthen his squad following his team's third successive promotion. Able to cover both the left-back and centre-back positions, Davies would provide versatility and a significant amount of experience for the Red Dragons.
He has featured in 358 matches across all competitions for Spurs, netting nine goals and captaining the side on 13 occasions. The defender is closing in on 100 senior appearances for Wales at international level, having represented his country at Euro 2016, Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup.
Davies has come a long way in his career since his early days with Swansea, where he earned just £400 per week after signing his first professional contract in 2011. He opened up about the modest wages he then earned while appearing on ESPN's Gab and Juls Show last year.
"It was £400 a week for playing in the Premier League. The Sun did a bit on their Goals pull-out — the front page of it. There was a picture of me with City's Yaya Toure and our salaries — £400 a week against £240,000 a week.
"I was getting messages on Twitter from plumbers saying 'come and work for me for a week'. But looking back it was probably a good thing."
Davies is now said to earn around £80,000 per week at Spurs, having never played below the Premier League during his career to date. He featured 28 times under Ange Postecoglou in their most recent campaign and is understood to be a popular member of the squad.
While Wrexham will be hoping to pull of a coup by securing his services, fellow Welshman Tony Pulis has urged Davies not to make the switch to North Wales. The former Stoke City manager said he should focus on playing at the top level for as long as possible.
Pulis told BoyleSports: "To Ben Davies, I'd say that you should stay as high as you could for as long as you can. He's played quite regularly at Spurs this year and he's still in the national team and doing exceptionally well for them.
"I think Craig Bellamy relies on him quite a bit as well with his experience. So I wouldn't be in too much of a rush to jump out of the Premier League at the moment.
"Maybe one day, but not this year, I'd be very, very keen if I was him to have another year at least in the Premier League."