“There’s a lot of ice to tread carefully on” Looking at possible FFP and PSR worries that AFC Wrexham could face if they are promoted to Championship

National World - LocalTV

Wrexham AFC have spent an influx of cash on their players to enable them to reach League One and now start a push for the Championship. If they are to go up, will they be having to tread on thin ice as their transfer policy could face punishment in the future.

Transcript

00:00Rexham, what a club they've been over the last couple of years, getting promotions back

00:06to back, all the way from the National League to League One, where they currently find themselves

00:11even in League One, they are competing right at the top, looking for promotion to the Championship.

00:17They've been the talk of the media for some time in this country, just because of who

00:20took them over, in terms of the Hollywood takeover, Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.

00:27That budget that they've had to try and get from non-league all the way to League One

00:32and possibly higher, it's been quite the story.

00:35But now they're in a situation where they actually need to keep spending, but that's

00:38going to be more difficult because of the PSR situation that all clubs find themselves

00:43in.

00:44But to get to the Championship, they need to improve their squad even more, their wage

00:47budget's going to have to increase.

00:49So what do they need to do in January, and perhaps the summer after that, to make sure

00:54that they have a good enough squad, but also have a club that's able to compete in general

01:02in terms of the wages and the spending?

01:04Yeah, obviously, as you mentioned there, it's an incredible story with Wrexham.

01:10But they spent £6.9 million on wages in the National League.

01:15Now that was obviously two seasons ago, but that was more than any League Two side at

01:20the time, and most League One teams as well.

01:24That's incredible to see their wage budget so high.

01:29They need to be competing in the Championship, they can't just go up and expect to fly with

01:35such a low value side, and that is where you spend the money on the quality to keep you

01:40in these divisions.

01:43And Wrexham's wage bill already exceeds 87% of the allowable limit, so there is going

01:50to be thin ice treading, and they're going to have to be really careful with what they're

01:55doing in future windows.

01:58Now January is obviously a massive window, it looks as if they need a goalscorer to maybe

02:03get them over the line in League One.

02:05You are competing with a number of sides who have also spent big.

02:09Birmingham City broke League One record after League One record in the summer with their

02:16additions.

02:17I mean, Jay Stansfield, £15 million going down to League One.

02:20These are figures you've never, ever seen before.

02:23They're going to need to bring down that 87% of allowed wages, they're going to need to

02:28bring that down to obviously comply with FFP.

02:32They're going to have to move players out, reduce contracts for other players.

02:35They are full of a few ageing players, 70% is the threshold, which is the market for

02:43a professional football club.

02:44So they can be at 70%, but they need to get rid of that 17% on top of it to make sure

02:50they're careful if and when they are promoted to the Championship.

02:54So a lot to think about and a lot of ice to tread on really carefully for Wrexham.

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