Late transfer flurry sets Wrexham up for run-in

Having enjoyed a relatively calm January transfer window on the whole, Wrexham went into overdrive on deadline day.

Zak Vyner, Davis Keillor-Dunn and Bailey Cadamarteri joined the club during the winter window, while a total of 10 first team players departed.

With Wrexham well placed to challenge for a play-off spot in the Championship, Phil Parkinson will hope his side’s latest business can bolster the club’s chances of tasting more success under Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

Signings

Zak Vyner from Bristol City (permanent), Davis Keillor-Dunn from Barnsley (permanent), Bailey Cadamarteri from Sheffield Wednesday (permanent)

Departures

Jake Bickerstaff to Cheltenham Town (permanent), James McClean to Derry City (permanent), Andy Cannon to Burton Albion (loan), Paul Mullin to Bradford City (loan), Conor Coady to Charlton Athletic (loan), Jacob Mendy to Peterborough United (permanent), Elliot Lee to Doncaster Rovers (loan), Ryan Hardie to Huddersfield Town (loan), Harry Ashfield to Cheltenham Town (loan), Mo Faal to Cheltenham Town (loan)

Having made 13 signings in the summer, the target in the new year was always to streamline the squad rather than make wholesale changes.

Parkinson was determined not to have players being frozen out for the remainder of the season as he plotted his revised 25-man squad that will soon be submitted to the English Football League (EFL).

Summer signing Conor Coady started just five league matches after joining from Leicester City and was keen to seek regular game time elsewhere.

The 10-cap England international secured a switch to Charlton Athletic which paved the way for Vyner – a target in the summer – to move to north Wales.

With his contract due to expire at the end of the season, the defender – who made 264 appearances for the Robins – was available for a reported sum of just £1.5m.

Vyner, 28, is vastly experienced at Championship level and is capable of playing across the back three or in midfield.

Lewis Brunt is edging ever closer to returning to action, so Parkinson is well stocked when it comes to his defensive options.

Wrexham have a wealth of options in midfield, hence the club’s decision to let Andy Cannon – back from almost a year out with an ACL injury – spend the rest of the season at Burton Albion.

It is the same with back-to-back-to-back promotion heroes Paul Mullin and Elliot Lee, who joined Bradford City and Doncaster Rovers respectively on loan.

But the final pieces were more of a jigsaw puzzle, with forward and wing-back options explored.

After Saturday’s win over Sheffield Wednesday, Parkinson stated Ryan Hardie would only be allowed to leave if they could find a replacement for the Scot.

Parkinson watched Sidiki Cherif in action for French club Angers, although the 19-year-old joined Turkish giants Fenerbahce on an initial loan deal, with the move to be made permanent in the summer.

But once the first domino fell, Wrexham’s final business swiftly fell into place.

The club agreed deals with Barnsley for Keillor-Dunn and Sheffield Wednesday for Cadamarteri – paving the way for Hardie to head to Huddersfield Town on loan.

Keillor-Dunn and Cadamarteri will now compete with the likes of top scorer Kieffer Moore, in-form Sam Smith and fit again Jay Rodriguez for game time.

At wing-back, James McClean’s departure to hometown club Derry City opened up the possibility of a new wide option being recruited.

But while they did not add to that department, Parkinson does have options.

Liberato Cacace and Issa Kabore are both fit again and started together for the first time in almost three months in the win at Hillsborough.

He also has Ryan Barnett and Ryan Longman at his disposal, while midfielder George Thomason has slotted in at left wing-back admirably at times this season.

Elsewhere, it was a case of trimming the numbers and increasing the game time of fringe players, as evidenced by the loan switches of Mo Faal and Harry Ashfield to Cheltenham Town.

Parkinson’s side have won four successive away league games in the second tier for the first time in their history, and Saturday’s 1-0 win at bottom side Wednesday saw Wrexham reach the 30-game mark in style.

The victory lifted them back up to sixth, putting them two points clear of seventh-placed Derby County and three behind fifth-placed Millwall – who they face at Stok Cae Ras on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Since the EFL was restructured in 2004, teams finishing in sixth place in the Championship average around 73 points – 26 more than Wrexham currently have with 48 points left to play for.