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Dalby and Davies leave Championship-bound Wrexham

Dalby and Davies leave Championship-bound Wrexham

BBC News16-05-2025
Striker Sam Dalby will not be returning to Wrexham from his loan spell at Dundee United – after turning down the chance to stay at the Championship-bound club.Dalby has spent the season at the Scottish Premiership side, with his 14 goals giving the Tannadice club the chance of European football.The 25-year-old was offered a new deal by Wrexham in January, but the club have confirmed he rejected the offer after they announced their retained list before their rise to the second-tier.Striker Steven Fletcher and goalkeeper Mark Howard had already gone public with their exits having been key figures in the club's third straight promotion under Phil Parkinson.They will be joined by midfielder Jordan Davies who is leaving his hometown club, five years after rejoining from Brighton.
Davies, 26, played 28 times as Wrexham secured their return to the Football League in 2023 and was again heavily involved in last year's promotion from League Two.But he was sent on loan to Grimsby at the start of the season and has not been offered a new deal, posting on social media that he had been on a "special journey" and praising co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney "for changing the feel around the whole town".He made 142 appearances in total, scoring 37 times – including 15 in the first full season of the club's Hollywood ownership.Dalby, meanwhile, could now stay in Scotland with Dundee United having spoken publicly about wanting to hold onto the forward. Dalby scored 13 goals in 92 outings for Wrexham after joining from Southend in 2022, but found himself behind Paul Mullin, Ollie Palmer, Jack Marriott and Fletcher at the start of the campaign.Parkinson admitted he had considered recalling the frontman in January, who at one stage led the SPL scoring charts and has since been voted as one of only two non-Old Firm players in the Scottish PFA team of the season. Former Manchester City youngster Josh Adam, 21, has also been released having not made a league appearance after joining in September, as has local academy product Harry Dean. Young goalkeeper Liam Hall also departs, as does former West Brom keeper Brad Foster who signed as injury cover in December.But academy graduate Aaron James has had a contract extension triggered, teenage winger Callum Edwards – who spent last season on loan at Cymru Premier side Bala Town – has been offered a new deal, while a decision on 18-year-old wide player James Rainbird will be put on hold until he recovers from injury.
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