Cifuentes 'grateful' for welcome to Leicester
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Daily Mirror
23 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Ryan Reynolds is paying stars Premier League wages as surprising 'Wrexham tax' claim made
A Wrexham director has lifted the lid on how the club's Hollywood owners are paying top-level wages to attract star players as they prepare for the Championship Wrexham are splashing out Premier League wages in their bid to compete in the Championship, a club director has revealed. The Red Dragons have been busy in the transfer market this summer after making six new signings. Plymouth striker Ryan Hardie, former Leicester goalkeeper Danny Ward and Empoli left-back Liberato Cacace were their first three arrivals after Wrexham were promoted to the second tier in April. They were followed by Bolton captain George Thomason, ex-Sheffield Wednesday forward Josh Windass and Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O'Brien, who all joined last week. More new recruits are expected to follow before Wrexham 's opening league game away at Southampton as manager Phil Parkinson looks to strengthen his squad. Club director Shaun Harvey has now lifted the lid on how the Welsh side's Hollywood owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, are paying top level salaries to entice players to the Racecourse Ground. Speaking on former Wrexham and Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster's Fozcast podcast, he said: "Our model has always been, we wanted to sign players that were at least used to playing one division higher than we were playing in. "If we're going to do that now, we're signing players who are Premier League quality and they want Premier League wages. If you're looking at signing players from the top end of the Championship to help you on your journey, they're earning fortunes more. "Our wage bill per month now will be more than we paid for the whole time we were in the National League." Despite the significant outlay, Harvey remarkably claimed the club is no longer having to fork out additional premiums as often to convince new signings to join. The ex-EFL chief executive said the so-called "Wrexham tax" - which saw the club having to offer a financial sweetener for players to drop down divisions - was a thing of the past. "That was worse in League One and League Two than it is in the Championship, and this will be a surprise to a lot of people," he said. "We were having to persuade players who were better than the standard of the division we were playing in to drop down to play." O'Brien, Wrexham's latest recruit, has spoken openly about the factors which persuaded him to join the club. It followed the Red Dragons fending off interest from several of their Championship rivals to secure his signature. "It's kind of crazy what's happened at Wrexham, it's surreal really," the 26-year-old midfielder told The Leader. "I've watched the Disney programme and it's like a Disney story - the third oldest club in the world having back-to-back-to-back promotions. "Once you see that and hear the club want to sign you, you want to be part of it. I'm absolutely buzzing. It's been a long time coming but to finally be here feels great." He added: "The last couple of years has been a bit of a whirlwind for me and my family but to sign somewhere I can call home is a great feeling. We've just had a little girl so we'll definitely be looking to move to the area. "I ended the season with Swansea and I've had a couple of spells in America so now it's time to find somewhere we can call home." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Sign up to our newsletter! Wrexham is the Game is great new way to get top-class coverage Wrexham AFC is the arguably the fastest-growing club in the world at the moment thanks to a certain Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The Dragons have achieved two consecutive promotions and are cheered on by crowds from not only North Wales but also from all over the globe, thanks to the success of the Disney+ documentary 'Welcome to Wrexham'. But does it have a dedicated, quality source of information piped through to your inbox each week, free of ads but packed with informed opinion, analysis and even a little bit of fun each week? That's where Wrexham is the Game steps in... Available every Wednesday, it provides all the insights you need to be a top red. And for a limited time, a subscription to 'Wrexham is the Game' will cost fans just £15 for the first year.
The Independent
23 minutes ago
- The Independent
Transfer news live: Arsenal strike Eze agreement, Liverpool want Isak after Diaz exit, Man United learn Watkins verdict
The summer transfer window is about to enter its final month with hundreds of millions already splashed on some major signings. Arsenal have completed the signing of Viktor Gyokeres, closing out a deal worth £63m for the forward who was unveiled as a new Gunner during their pre-season match against Newcastle on Sunday. The Gunners have also confirmed the signing of Cristhian Mosquera in defence and they now have their sights on Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze. Liverpool have signed Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt in a £79m deal having beaten off interest from Newcastle to secure his signature. The Reds have also agreed to sell Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich which could challenge the resolve of Newcastle who are holding firm in their valuation of Alexander Isak. Isak has requested to 'explore his options' away from the club with a move to Liverpool seemingly the likeliest destination as the Premier League champions aim to strengthen their forward line. Elsewhere, Manchester United have completed the signing of Bryan Mbeumo who joins Matheus Cunha in Ruben Amorim's new-look attack though the manager is still hopeful of securing a No.9 before the start of the season. Marcus Rashford has completed a loan move to Barcelona while Jadon Sancho is drawing interest from Juventus as the club also focus on outgoings. Meanwhile, Chelsea have their sights on a Dutch duo of Xavi Simons and centre-back Jorrel Hato. Arsenal strike agreement with Eze? Football365 and French media oulet, Sports Zone report that Arsenal have a reached an agreement with Eberechi Eze over personal terms for a possible transfer to the Emirates stadium. The Gunners still need to negotiate terms and fees with Crystal Palace but should the clubs come to an understanding Eze will be poised to join Mikel Arteta's side. Eze holds a £68m release clause in his contract with the Gunners hoping to negotiate a price closer to £60m. Mike Jones28 July 2025 11:14 Leeds sign Lyon goalkeeper Lucas Perri as Daniel Farke shores up newly-promoted squad Leeds have made their seventh summer signing by bringing in Brazilian goalkeeper Lucas Perri from Lyon for an initial €16m (£13.9m). The fee, which could rise by a further €2m in add-ons, takes Leeds' summer spending to around £75m as they bolster their squad in a bid to stay in the Premier League. The 27-year-old joins from Lyon, who he helped reach the quarter-finals of the Europa League last season in a campaign when he kept 13 clean sheets, after goalkeeper was a problem position for Leeds last season, even as they won the Championship. Leeds sign Lyon goalkeeper Lucas Perri as Daniel Farke shores up newly-promoted squad Leeds have strengthened in goal as they bid to stay in the Premier League after promotion Chris Wilson28 July 2025 11:13 Muller decides to continue career Thomas Muller has decided to continue his playing career and move to the MLS, according to Sky Sports. LAFC are one of two clubs in the race to sign the German, who left Bayern Munich last season after a 25-year association with the German club. Mike Jones28 July 2025 11:00 Napoli interested in Sterling Napoli are said to be interested in a surprise move for Raheem Sterling. The 30-year-old is not in Enzo Maresca's plans at Chelsea and the Blues want to sell him this summer. Calcio Mercato report that Napoli have placed Sterling on their shortlist as they look to strengthen in attack and they could secure him for around £20m. Mike Jones28 July 2025 10:52 Dortmund want Brighton midfielder? Sky Sports reports that Borussia Dortmund want to sign Brighton midfielder Facundo Buonanotte. The 20-year-old, who spent last season on loan at Leicester, joined Brighton in 2023 for a fee around £5m. He has three years left on his contract at the Premier League club, and it is not known what sort of fee Brighton would want. Mike Jones28 July 2025 10:45 Chelsea refusing Chukwuemeka loan? Fabrizio Romano says that Chelsea are in talks with Borussia Dortmund over a move for Carney Chukwuemeka. The German side prefer a loan move for the midfielder but Chelsea want to sell. The Blues are reportedly sticking to their stance or a permanent transfer or no move at all. Additional reports suggest that RB Leipzig are also interested in Chukwuemeka, which could help Chelsea as the Blues are interested in the Xavi Simons, who plays for the German club. Mike Jones28 July 2025 10:37 Wrexham make surprise move for Eriksen Wrexham are trying to punch above their weight (slightly) and have approached Christian Eriksen over a potential move. The Dane is a free agent having left Manchester United at the start of the summer and was impressed by their proposal. However, Wrexham are in the Championship and are seeking a fourth successive promotion having swept through the lower leagues under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Eriksen hopes to remain at the top level of football whether that is in the Premier League or at one of the top leagues in Europe. Mike Jones28 July 2025 10:30 Trafford to undergo City medical James Trafford is set to begin his medical at Man City today ahead of his £27m move from Burnley. Trafford has agreed a five-year contract plus an optional extra year and will compete with Ederson for the number one shirt, with Steffan Ortega expected to leave this summer. Chris Wilson28 July 2025 10:24 Son to leave Spurs? Tottenham's Europa League winning captain could potentially depart ahead of the new season in what would be both a blow and a well-earned farewell. The Athletic report that Son Heung-min is drawing interest from the MLS. Apparently, Los Angeles FC are said to be 'pushing hard' to sign the South Korean and talks with Spurs are ongoing. Son is not expected to play a prominent role under Thomas Frank next season and could emulate former manager Ange Postecoglou is leaving the club in a blaze of glory after ending their 17-year wait for a major trophy win. Mike Jones28 July 2025 10:22 Arteta addresses Mosquera acquisition Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said: 'We're delighted to welcome Cristhian to Arsenal. As a 21-year-old defender, Cristhian has already performed consistently well with significant experience in La Liga. 'He is an intelligent player with good pace, who can play centrally and on both sides. He is a young player with exciting talent and enormous potential, who will fit well into our squad as we continue to prepare for next season. 'Cristhian adds good quality to our squad, and we look forward to working with him and making him feel at home with us. From all of us, we welcome Cristhian and his family to the club.' Sporting director Andrea Berta added: 'We're very happy and excited to have signed a hugely talented young player in Cristhian Mosquera. We identified Cristhian as one of the strongest young defenders in European football, and he is an important signing for our future. "Cristhian is a versatile defender who will strengthen our squad. We cannot wait to see him playing for us. Together with everyone at the club, we warmly welcome Cristhian and his family to Arsenal." Mike Jones28 July 2025 10:14
BBC News
23 minutes ago
- BBC News
Gossip: Argyle enter race for Forest striker
Blackpool face competition from Plymouth Argyle for 21-year-old Nottingham Forest and Northern Ireland striker Dale Taylor's signature. (Alan Nixon via Patreon - subscription required), externalWant more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Monday's gossip column here.
