Wrexham might have found their perfect Luke Young replacement
Wrexham are reportedly interested in adding an experienced Welsh midfielder who knows League One quite well.
Joe Morrell played 27 matches for Portsmouth over the previous domestic campaign, helping Pompey claim the League One title. Next season they will feature in the Championship for the first time since 2012, but it doesn’t appear their vice-captain will be along for the ride.
Portsmouth manager John Mousinho admitted last month that Morrell will likely seek a new club in 2024-25. “It’s out of my hands in terms of negotiations, and it would be nice to sort something out with Joe, but, at the same time, we knew the minute we didn’t take his contract up, there are going to be plenty of other clubs in for such a good player,” Mousinho told The News.
The 38-year-old boss said he’d like Morrell to stay, but the fact that they haven’t discussed picking up an option for him is pretty telling. There’s likely to be plenty of interested League One sides wanting Morrell’s services, including Wrexham.
What is Joe Morrell’s background?
Morrell has plenty of experience playing in the lower tiers of English football but has also played in big international tournaments.
The 27-year-old was a product of the Bristol City academy before being loaned to Sutton United in 2016-17, making three National League appearances that season.
He’d play a more prominent role at Cheltenham Town the following season and has also enjoyed loan spells at Luton Town and Lincoln City, while being named Player of The Year for the Imps in 2019-20.
In August 2021, he joined Portsmouth on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee. The Ipswich-born midfielder has featured 105 times for Pompey across all competitions, scoring once with 10 assists.
Unfortunately, his season was cut short in January when he suffered a knee cartilage injury during a match with Oxford United.
However, Morrell’s experience isn’t just at club level, as he’s collected 37 senior caps for Wales.
He was named to the Euro squad in the delayed 2020 competition and made a brief appearance at the 2022 World Cup for the Welsh as a substitute in their final group fixture against England.
Why does Morrell fit the Wrexham model?
The release of veteran Luke Young means Wrexham must decide how to fill that void.
George Evans and Elliott Lee are coming off strong League Two seasons for the Red Dragons, with the latter scoring 16 goals. Both could slot into that central midfield role, but Morrell may be a better long-term fit as he is in the prime of his career.
Phil Parkinson’s men favour a direct approach in terms of build-up and Morrell is technically excellent on the ball as well as receiving on the half-turn, making him a great candidate to fill Young’s shoes.
The Welshman’s pass accuracy last season per 90 was very high at 94%, while he came in at 92% for fouls won per 90. He has strong passing and ball movement, and Morrell also won 55.3% of his duels over the previous campaign.
Given all the boxes he ticks, the Red Dragons should seriously consider signing him.
