Peterborough United chairman admits Wrexham pulled off transfer hijack this summer
Wrexham have been busy this summer and some of Phil Parkinson’s transfer business has left other League One clubs more than a little frustrated.
Phil Parkinson simply had to bolster his Wrexham squad after back-to-back promotions.
Going from the National League to League One in such rapid fashion left the Wrexham squad needing reinforcements.
Five new faces have now arrived with Wrexham looking to be in strong shape for the new season.
Two goalkeepers have signed in Arthur Okonkwo and Callum Burton, whilst defenders Lewis Brunt and Sebastian Revan – who know each other from Aston Villa – have arrived too.
George Dobson has joined on a free transfer, bolstering Parkinson’s options in the middle of the pitch.
Peterborough United chairman on Wrexham transfer
Dobson looks to be a real coup for Wrexham and has joined forces with his former teammates Eoghan O’Connell, Elliot Lee and Ollie Palmer.
Other clubs have been left by the wayside in Wrexham’s quest for new signings and one addition appears to have been in high demand.
Defender Brunt has arrived from Leicester City, penning a permanent deal with Wrexham after spending last season won loan at Mansfield Town.
Brunt’s versatility will be a real asset to Wrexham as he can play across defence or even in holding midfield if needed.
A 23-year-old with real potential for the future, Brunt is the kind of signing Wrexham needed.
Wrexham were not alone in the race to sign Brunt though and Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony has opened up on his pursuit of Brunt.
Speaking on his podcast The Hard Truth, MacAntony admitted that he had one signing ‘pretty much done’ before Wrexham came in.
MacAnthony claims Wrexham offered £3000-a-week more than Peterborough and were therefore able to complete the hijack.
MacAnthony has no problems with that though, suggesting that he has done it to other clubs in the past and it’s just ‘fair play’ to Wrexham.
“The ones we were in for, we had one signed, pretty much done, and at the last minute, obviously our Welsh friends came in and swooped in and offered him, I think it was £3000 more a week than we had already agreed with the player. By the way, fair play to them, that’s their prerogative to do that, we’ve done that over the years with other clubs. The player chose them, no problem, I’ve got no issue with that,” said MacAnthony.
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Mansfield boss on Lewis Brunt
MacAnthony appears to be talking about Brunt here and that is because Peterborough were strongly pursuing the defender this summer.
Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough – who coached Brunt last season – admitted in July that Wrexham had beaten Mansfield and Peterborough in the race for Brunt.
Mansfield made Brunt their ‘number one target’ and were hopeful of securing a permanent deal.
Clough suggested that Mansfield were ‘neck and neck’ with Peterborough for Brunt before Wrexham blew both clubs away.
“It was us and Peterborough, I think neck-and-neck for his signature, I think we’d just put an offer in slightly more than Peterborough’s,” said Clough. “As is the way, Wrexham came in and blew us both out of the water and paid quite a lot more than the two of us had bid, add in personal terms as well and the likes of us and Peterborough can’t compete with that.”
“There’s nothing you can do about it. If you lose players for something like £50 or something like that, or to somebody who’s not far off and you think ‘they’ve just chosen it for a particular reason’ or whatever, but when somebody comes and blows you out of the water financially, there’s absolutely nothing you can do,” he added.
That certainly lines up with MacAnthony’s comments and Wrexham will certainly feel that Brunt is a real coup having beaten Peterborough to his signature.
