BLACKBURN, ENGLAND - JANUARY 29: Andy Cannon of Wrexham celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Blackburn Rovers and Wrexham at Ewood Park on January 29, 2024 in Blackburn, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Phil Parkinson could sign an ‘exceptional’ free agent this summer to rival Andy Cannon’s position at Wrexham.
Ahead of the transfer window opening on June 14th, Phil Parkinson knows where his priorities lie at Wrexham.
He must sign a No.1 goalkeeper, either capturing Arthur Okonkwo permanently or looking elsewhere.
The 56-year-old needs to add a centre back having already failed in their pursuit of Wigan Athletic’s Jason Kerr after he agreed on a new deal with the Latics.
Parkinson also requires firepower upfront to start alongside goal machine Paul Mullin as Steven Fletcher and Ollie Palmer weren’t clinical enough in League Two.
Meanwhile, a left-back is desired to replace Jacob Mendy in the starting XI and a central midfielder to offer competition for Elliot Lee, Andy Cannon and George Evans.
Wrexham have reportedly shown an interest in Brighton midfielder Marc Leonard, though several Championship and League One clubs have joined the queue for his signature.
It is said that Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds would have to break their transfer record to sign Leonard, and could instead look at a free agent.
Wrexham can land Korey Smith bargain
Parkinson will be looking for a battle-tested and experienced League One midfielder in the market.
Korey Smith, who is fresh from winning promotion with Derby County, is the exact type of midfielder he needs.
Smith was released from his contract at Pride Park after winning promotion but the 33-year-old was “exceptional” across 32 appearances last term.
The Englishman starred alongside loanee Ebou Adams towards the latter stages, and that partnership was instrumental in their promotion.
Smith’s technical and physical attributes completed his teammates well and his boundless amounts of energy and impressive passing range were showcased. He recovered 3.9 balls per game, won 57% of his ground duels and completed 80% of his passes.
Korey Smith could rival Andy Cannon
Cannon started adding goals to his game towards the end of the season and the 28-year-old praised Parkinson for playing him advanced.
He notched up five goals and two assists in his final eight games, including a brace against Grimsby, to help Wrexham seal promotion.
Cannon is naturally an aggressive ball-winning midfielder who covers every blade of grass, so if they were to sign Smith, he could rival the Reds fan favourite for a place in the side.
At times in the 2023/24 campaign, Wrexham lacked options from the bench in midfield and often had to call on Luke Young.
With the captain now gone, a replacement is needed and Smith should be on their radar.
Not only is he a supremely experienced, quality midfield operator, but he also fits the type of player McElhenney and Reynolds normally go for having played at a higher level.
To snap him up on a free transfer would therefore be a superb piece of business, offering excellent competition to their midfield ranks.
