The Wrexham Transfer Dilemma That's Dividing the Fanbase

Wrexham are set for a busy summer transfer window, but there is intense debate among supporters over just how much work still needs to be done.

The Red Dragons recorded the best finish in their history by placing seventh in the Championship, narrowly missing out on a playoff spot. The playoffs will expand next season to include two additional places, increasing the chances of promotion to the Premier League. However, sources close to Wrexham expect the division to be even more competitive overall.

Wrexham are expected to spend heavily again as they look to strengthen the squad for another promotion push, with an emphasis on quality over quantity. The club signed 13 players last summer and added three more in January, but this summer’s business is expected to be roughly half that number.

The priority is to reinforce the wingback positions, while Phil Parkinson’s side could also be in the market for a striker and a holding midfielder. Wrexham are also expected to sign a goalkeeper.

Whether that goalkeeper arrives as a starter or a backup is where the fanbase is sharply divided.

A Goalkeeper of Premier League Caliber

Wrexham goalkeeper Danny Ward — Danny Ward was recalled for the final four matches of the Championship season. | Photo by MB Media/Getty Images

Wrexham signed Danny Ward to be their No. 1 goalkeeper a year ago, with double-promotion hero Arthur Okonkwo serving as his understudy.

Ward started the first four matches of the season before dislocating his elbow in a 2–0 win away at Millwall, an injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the calendar year. As a result, Okonkwo was quickly promoted to the starting role and retained it until the final month of the season.

Okonkwo was dropped following a poor performance in Wrexham’s 2–0 defeat to Birmingham City in early April, with Ward reinstated for the decisive final four matches. The fact that Parkinson made the change when the stakes were highest spoke volumes about which goalkeeper he trusted most.

Both goalkeepers are entering the final year of their contracts, and no new talks are currently underway. That is hardly a ringing endorsement of either player as the long-term No. 1 heading into next season. Ward and Okonkwo are good goalkeepers by Championship standards, but arguably no more than that. If Wrexham are serious about challenging for automatic Premier League promotion, they may need one of the league’s elite performers between the posts.

The Red Dragons conceded 65 league goals—their highest total since dropping out of the Football League in 2008—and finished with the 18th-best defensive record in the division. Of course, goals conceded are not solely the responsibility of the goalkeeper. It is also worth noting that Wrexham faced the fourth-highest number of shots in the Championship, so there were clearly other factors at play.

One of the most reliable ways to evaluate goalkeepers is through expected goals on target against (xGOT). This metric estimates how many goals a goalkeeper would be expected to concede based on the quality of the shots they face, allowing for a comparison with the number of goals actually conceded.

Championship Goalkeeper Comparison

	Arthur Okonkwo	Danny Ward	Carl Rushworth	Christian Walton	Max Crocombe
Appearances	39	8	46	37	23
Clean sheets	9	3	17	16	9
Clean sheet percentage	23.07%	37.5%	36.95%	43.24%	39.13%
Goals prevented	-2.1	-0.82	6.7	5.6	3.4
Save percentage	67.9%	67.6%	73.2%	72.6%	75.7%

Ward was expected to concede 12.82 goals and allowed 12. Okonkwo, meanwhile, was expected to concede 50.4 and allowed 53.

Save percentage tells a similar story. Okonkwo ranked 16th in the division at 67.9%, just ahead of Ward’s 67.6%, although Ward’s figure came from a much smaller sample size. Even after accounting for the team’s broader defensive shortcomings, both goalkeepers graded out as largely average.

By comparison, champions Coventry City had Carl Rushworth in goal, who posted the third-best save percentage in the division and ranked first in goals prevented based on xGOT. Runners-up Ipswich Town relied on Christian Walton, who ranked fourth in save percentage and second in goals prevented. Meanwhile, Millwall’s Max Crocombe, whose side finished third, recorded the best save percentage in the Championship and ranked eighth in goals prevented.

The case for signing a goalkeeper this summer is easy to make. The dilemma is deciding who should make way.

Ward vs. Okonkwo

Arthur Okonkwo has been a key part of Wrexham's rise. | Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside/Getty Images

32-year-old Ward has Parkinson’s trust but is entering the latter stages of his career. 24-year-old Okonkwo offers greater long-term potential, but there are legitimate questions about whether he can reach the level required to match the club’s ambitions.

Many supporters appear to favor giving Okonkwo another opportunity. After all, it was his first season in the Championship, and he did not perform poorly. He also has considerable goodwill among the fanbase after playing a key role in back-to-back promotions from League Two. That steady rise has even earned him his first call-up to the Nigeria national team.

That recognition also makes him the more valuable asset. While there is likely to be limited market interest in a veteran such as Ward, Wrexham would have little difficulty finding a buyer for Okonkwo. If the club does not view him as its long-term first choice, and he has only one year remaining on his contract, selling him would be a logical move. Yet at 24 years old, it is also a decision the club could come to regret.

Having narrowly missed the playoffs this season, Wrexham know that another slow start could prove costly in what promises to be a fierce promotion race. They cannot afford to spend the opening weeks of the campaign figuring out their strongest lineup. The goalkeeper situation needs to be resolved this summer.

Their next No. 1 really needs to be a keeper.

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