Wrexham’s summer transfer window ranked
The EFL summer transfer window has closed, and many of those new additions at Wrexham have already made a solid impact.
Eight players signed with during the window, while the club said goodbye to nine players from last season and loaned five to other clubs.
Here is a breakdown of those who are in and those out, plus a grade on the club’s overall transactions.
Wrexham’s summer signings
As we are accustomed to seeing when a transfer window opens, Wrexham took their time with summer signings when the window opened on June 14.
On July 1, they signed goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo to a permanent deal, with the 22-year-old playing a massive part in their League Two promotion while on loan from Arsenal.
This move was followed by four more additions in July, many of whom had plenty of experience, like Lewis Brunt, George Dobson, Callum Burton and Sebastian Revan.
Last month, they brought in Dan Scarr and Ollie Rathbone and, just before the window closed, signed Modou Faal.
Best Signing
You have to say Arthur Okonkwo. It was a no-brainer, given the campaign he had at Wrexham in League Two, but still a huge coup to bring him back to the club.
We’ve only played four League One fixtures this season, and he’s posted three successive clean sheets and was particularly strong away to Bolton Wanderers, making eight high-class stops.
Okonkwo’s command of the penalty area and shot-stopping ability makes him among the best goalkeepers in League One, while he also has his best years ahead of him and could be part of the Wrexham journey for years to come.
Best newcomer
It's still early days, but the best of that lot so far has been midfield maestro George Dobson. The former Charlton Athletic star is already on his way to becoming a firm fan favourite through his tenacity and energy in the middle of the park.
Wrexham fans were intrigued to see how the midfield make-up would look after the summer transfer overhaul and it is a testament to Dobson that 'gorgeous' George Evans has been reduced to a substitute role so far.
Biggest loss
It feels like a long time ago when Wrexham released Luke Young in June, but he is still missed by those with rose-tinted glasses.
He was a great leader, had an excellent passing range of short and long balls, and while he didn’t score a ton, he netted some memorable long-range efforts during his time at the club.
Young had his share of memorable moments at Wrexham and deserves kudos for his part in this team’s ascension up the EFL pyramid. While it was the right time for him to go, it was still sad to see such a key character depart.
Point to prove
You have to say Mo Faal was the most curious move of the bunch.
The 21-year-old striker joined from West Bromwich Albion last week as Wrexham looked to add some extra firepower to their forward line ahead of another bumper campaign.
Faal struck 15 times in 53 appearances last season, with all but two of them coming in League Two during loan-spells with Doncaster Rovers and Walsall respectively.
Given he hasn't played regularly at this level before, Faal could be behind Mullin, Ollie Palmer, Marriott and Steven Fletcher in the pecking order to begin with and he’ll have to prove he can be an energy guy off the bench that can take some of the scoring pressure off those aforementioned names.
He looks like a shrewd signing for the years to come, and although he might not be starting matches to begin with, it would be no surprise if he soon worked his way into Phil Parkinson's best XI.
Wrexham’s Transfer Grade: A
Once again, Wrexham did some great business, adding game changers, leaders, and depth to every position, while also doing deals on their own terms.
That’s been evident already, and if that consistency continues, there’s plenty of reason to believe there’s another promotion in the cards. If not this season, then certainly next.
