Wrexham are keen to sign Wales international Nathan Broadhead from Ipswich Town in a club record deal, but the Tractor Boys are now reported to be reluctant to sell
Wrexham’s record-breaking transfer bid to secure Nathan Broadhead from Ipswich Town seems to have encountered a significant hurdle.
Last week, reports surfaced that the Red Dragons, owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, had tabled an offer for the winger in a deal valued at £7.5million. At the time, all indications suggested that negotiations to bring the 27-year-old Wales international to the Racecourse Ground were advancing smoothly, as Wrexham sought to strengthen their squad in preparation for Championship football.
However, the situation has become complicated after Broadhead was brought on as a second-half substitute in the Tractor Boys’ 3-0 pre-season win over Auxerre on Saturday. Ipswich have not yet given the go-ahead for the move and are reportedly hesitant at this stage, as another of their wingers, Omari Hutchinson, is being pursued by Brentford.
In addition, forward Jaden Philogene sustained an ankle injury during the friendly match in France, further depleting manager Kieran McKenna’s attacking resources. It leaves Wrexham’s aspirations of finalising a deal for Broadhead teetering on the edge, despite McKenna acknowledging the player’s fondness for the Championship newcomers.
Broadhead, originally from Bangor, North Wales, was part of Wrexham’s academy in the early stages of his career before moving on to Everton.
Following the Auxerre match, McKenna said: “I think it’s well-publicised that there’s interest there from Wrexham, which is a club that he has an affinity to. But he also has a great affinity to Ipswich and he’s been a really, really important player for us.
“I think in all these situations as a club, especially moving between divisions, there’s always going to be probably more movement and more live situations than you would want in pre-season.
“I think when other clubs want our players, it’s also something we should be proud of because it’s probably not that long ago that there wasn’t as much interest in Ipswich players as there is now.
“Nathan’s an Ipswich player and so long as he’s here, he’ll be an important player for us. We’re, of course, lighter in those areas than we want to be anyway, especially after today.”
Watch Welcome to Wrexham season 4 on Disney+
Welcome to Wrexham is back on Disney+ for a fourth season. Fans can watch the series with a £4.99 monthly plan, or get 12 months for the price of 10 by paying for a year upfront.
He added: “We’ll see how the situation plays out. But he’s an important player for us and someone we think very highly of.
“I think what’s important as a club, as a staff, as a group, a squad, with the players, with the supporters, is that we stick together and know that there are going to be situations throughout the month of August.”
Broadhead made the switch to Ipswich from Everton for £1.5m in January 2023 and proved instrumental in their consecutive promotions from League One and the Championship. But he was limited to only seven Premier League starts last campaign as the Tractor Boys suffered relegation from the top flight.
With a tally of 23 goals in 83 appearances for the club, he is now in the final year of his contract, and Wrexham are reportedly eager to secure his services. The Red Dragons are also close to signing Wales and Sheffield United striker Kieffer Moore ahead of their Championship opener at Southampton on Saturday.