Ryan Reynolds wants ex-England star to help Wrexham reach Premier League as deadline set

Wrexham are hoping to sign an ex-England star to help achieve their Hollywood owners' ambitious Premier League deadline, according to reports. The Welsh side are aiming to pull off a coup by securing the services of Leicester centre-back Conor Coady, who has registered nearly 200 top-tier appearances during his career.

The 32-year-old still has one year left on his contract, but has repeatedly been linked with a move away from the King Power Stadium this summer. Scottish giants Rangers were previously reported to be leading the chase for Coady's signature.

However, as per the Daily Mail, Wrexham are now among the frontrunners to recruit the defender after making him a top target. The Red Dragons have won promotion in each of their last three seasons, taking them from the National League to the Championship in a short period.

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The club's Hollywood owners have made no secret of their goal of taking Wrexham all the way to the Premier League. And Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are now claimed to have set a target date of 2027 to make the final jump.

Wrexham have already shattered their transfer record twice since gaining automatic promotion from League One in April, initially with a deal for Empoli left-back Liberato Cacace. Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O'Brien then joined the New Zealand international in a move potentially worth up to £5m.

They are now poised to break their transfer record for a third time following a £7.5m bid for Ipswich Town forward Nathan Broadhead.

A bold move for Coady is said to be next on the list as manager Phil Parkinson continues to shape a squad capable of immediately challenging for a place in the top flight.

Coady has racked up 198 Premier League appearances in his career, playing for Wolves, Everton and Leicester. He previously led Wolves to two seventh-place finishes and a journey to the Europa League quarter-finals.

He has also won 10 caps for England and was included in Gareth Southgate's squads for Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup. Despite widespread speculation that he will leave Leicester, he still has 11 months remaining on his contract.

As a result, Wrexham would need to fork out a transfer fee to secure Coady's services ahead of their first second-tier season in 43 years. Parkinson has openly expressed his desire to get as many of his targets signed up as soon as possible before the season kicks off with a challenging match at Southampton.

Speaking to BBC Sport Wales, he said: "Ideally, we'd like to make a couple more additions. Is that going to happen before the start of the season? It's difficult to say. But the most important thing is by the end of August we've got a squad in here which we feel can compete."

Coady would complete Wrexham's back three alongside Max Cleworth, 22, and Lewis Brunt, 24. Wrexham currently have the ninth-shortest odds among bookmakers for promotion from the Championship, and his arrival could bolster their chances further.

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