Latest news with #RobMac
Daily Mirror
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Ryan Reynolds backs risky £25m transfer strategy as Wrexham make bold Premier League push
Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac have sanctioned an eye-watering potential transfer spend at Wrexham this summer, breaking their transfer record again after snapping up Nathan Broadhead Wrexham have made a bold statement about their Championship ambitions by securing the services of Nathan Broadhead. The Wales international's move from Ipswich on a four-year deal was announced on Thursday. The transfer is believed to be worth an initial £7.5million, potentially rising to as much as £10m with add-ons, according to reports. The 27-year old forward is the ninth new face brought in by manager Phil Parkinson during the summer transfer window. Wrexham 's Hollywood owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, have given the green light for significant spending following the club's promotion from League One in April. Their spree began with the relatively modest acquisition of striker Ryan Hardie from Plymouth for £700,000 in mid-June. Goalkeeper Danny Ward then joined on a free transfer from Leicester, followed by Empoli left-back Liberato Cacace for around £2.2m, which could rise to £4m in the future. Midfielder George Thomason was next to arrive from Bolton for £1.2m, with forward Josh Windass signing on a free after leaving Sheffield Wednesday. Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O'Brien was added to Wrexham's squad for a reported fee of £3m that could eventually increase to £5m. Defender Conor Coady from Leicester and striker Kieffer Moore from Sheffield United were snapped up for £2m each just before the season opener at Southampton. The signing of Broadhead marks the third time this summer that the Red Dragons have smashed their transfer record. Wrexham's potential expenditure so far totals a staggering £25m, with initial fees amounting to around £18.5m. The hefty sum places Wrexham amongst the top spenders in the second tier during the current transfer window, as Parkinson aims to assemble a team capable of challenging in the upper echelons of the league. Reynolds and Mac have made no secret of their ultimate ambition: to guide Wrexham to the Premier League and eventually clinch the title. Mac, who recently applied to change his surname from McElhenney, has also stated that he won't be content with consolidation. However, Wrexham's ambitious spending spree does pose a risk in a league governed by Profit and Sustainability rules (PSR). The club's CEO, Michael Williamson, recently shed some light on Wrexham's transfer strategy. The ex- Inter Milan executive disclosed that the owners prefer to keep their distance when it comes to the nitty-gritty details. Speaking in an interview with the Telegraph, Williamson said: "They know what they know and know what they don't know and are not afraid to admit it. They're very refreshing, because they are supportive, they're engaged, but they do not try to micromanage or get too involved." When planning their latest transfer budget, the chief executive presented the duo with various scenarios, including budgets for survival, a mid-table finish, and competitiveness. Showing their ambitious streak, Reynolds and Mac are reported to have questioned him about what it would take to secure a top-two spot, guaranteeing automatic Premier League promotion. Williamson revealed their verdict was: "Let's be competitive and see where we end up." He added: "If we can find ourselves in that position towards the back end of the season, I give us a very good shot of being in the play-offs. And then, ultimately, if we're in the play-offs, I give us a very good shot of getting promoted." So, just how risky is Wrexham's considerable spending spree? In their corner is the club's robust financial standing after recording a remarkable annual turnover of £26.7m for the financial year ending June 2024. The accounts cover a period whilst they were playing in League Two and was largely down to the worldwide spotlight brought by their famous owners. The popularity of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary series and profitable sponsorship agreements also played their part. Although Wrexham still recorded a deficit of £2.7m during that period, PSR regulations permit Championship sides to lose £39m across a three-year period, working out at £13m annually. They're not entirely dependent on Reynolds and Mac's financial clout either, with the New York-based Allyn family also offering significant support. However, some concerns have been raised about whether they're getting bang for their buck. In the case of Broadhead, they splashed out a hefty sum for a player in the final year of his contract at Ipswich. There's also scepticism about the calibre of some of their new recruits. Former Wales striker Iwan Roberts reckons they've paid too much for Conor Coady, arguing his prime years are behind him. On the BBC's Feast of Football podcast, Roberts said: "He (Coady) hasn't done a thing at Leicester for two years. If you ask any Leicester fan if they will lose sleep over losing Conor Coady, and they've got £2million for him, they will say that no, they won't. "He hardly kicked the ball in the season when they won the Championship. Last season, he was involved in 22 Premier League games in the second-worst defence in the league. I think he's past his prime." However, Wrexham can point to their recent hat-trick of promotions from the National League to the Championship as proof that their transfer strategy has been successful so far. Whether it continues to pay off in the second tier remains to be seen. 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.
Wales Online
2 days ago
- Business
- Wales Online
Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac get cold shoulder from Premier League fans in frank verdict
Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac get cold shoulder from Premier League fans in frank verdict Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac have taken Wrexham to new heights in recent years, but a recent poll shows not every fanbase would be happy with the Hollywood duo owning their club Most Premier League fans wouldn't be happy to have Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac at the helm of their club (Image: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Getty Images) Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac have been given a reality check regarding their popularity. The Hollywood duo have made waves in the football world since acquiring the Red Dragons in February 2021. Wrexham have achieved three consecutive promotions, catapulting them from the National League to the Championship. The club's success has garnered global attention, largely due to the Welcome to Wrexham documentary series. However, while fans in North Wales are thrilled with their A-list owners, a recent poll suggests not all football supporters share this sentiment. Betfair's annual 'Nation Predicts' survey reveals that 66 per cent of over 2,000 football enthusiasts polled wouldn't be interested in Reynolds and Mac owning their club. Liverpool and Newcastle fans were most opposed to the concept of Hollywood ownership. That is perhaps unsurprising considering the satisfaction levels with their current owners, who are significantly wealthier than the Wrexham duo. Last season, Liverpool clinched the Premier League title and have since embarked on a summer of heavy investment under the Fenway Sports Group. Meanwhile, Newcastle, backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, secured their first major trophy since 1969 by winning the Carabao Cup. Manchester United supporters showed the greatest enthusiasm for the prospect of Reynolds and Mac assuming control, with 27 per cent backing the idea, whilst 56 per cent remained opposed. Article continues below Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac remain popular figures with Wrexham fans (Image: Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images) That could stem from considerable frustration with the Glazer family's stewardship and, more recently, Sir Jim Ratcliffe's partial acquisition. Remarkably, 69 per cent of Tottenham fans rejected the concept of the Hollywood pair taking over, with merely 21 per cent showing support. That comes despite Spurs supporters frequently expressing frustration with chairman Daniel Levy regarding the club's recent trajectory. Whilst Premier League followers might look down upon Reynolds and Mac, who has recently applied to legally alter his surname from McElhenney, their reputation at Wrexham remains sky-high. Former England shot-stopper Nigel Martyn also considers that celebrity ownership can deliver positive outcomes for football, pointing to the progress seen at Wrexham and Birmingham City, who count NFL icon Tom Brady among its part-owners. Watch Welcome to Wrexham season 4 on Disney+ This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more from £4.99 Disney+ Get Disney+ here Product Description 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. Speaking to Parimatch, Martyn said: "I think it's been a breath of fresh air if I'm totally honest. Seeing things like the Wrexham documentary on television and how open they've been with everything is great for the game. "They're popular people and while Ryan Reynolds is somebody that most people think, 'Yeah, he looks like he's a nice guy and he's funny,' both he and Rob McElhenney are serious about how they run the football club as well. "You won't hear anyone in Wrexham say a bad thing about them, I wouldn't imagine, because they've turned them around from a team that had been out of the Football League to one which I expect to see pushing into the higher echelons and the Premier League. It's been tremendous. 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. Sign up for Wrexham is the Game here Article continues below "Anything that boosts the club and the standing of your club in a positive way is a good thing. To have Tom Brady at Birmingham City, for Birmingham fans, it makes them stick their chest out a little bit further and say, 'Look who we've got now.'". He added: "So far, Wrexham have done it tremendously well and Birmingham appear to be making progress. In all honesty, it doesn't matter how much money you throw at it, there is no guarantee that you're going to win the league. But, so far, both teams have bounced up the leagues pretty well. "Fair play to them, it's going to be interesting but I think it's a positive thing, definitely, and celebrity ownership, with people trying to copy Wrexham and Birmingham, is probably something we'll see more and more and more of."
The Age
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Necaxa review: Welcome to Wrexham spin-off starring Eva Longoria
Imagine taking the ingredients that made Welcome to Wrexham so magical, adding in a bucket of poo, and stirring. That's Necaxa . I'll be absolutely amazed if a more cynical piece of television emerges this year. Rob Mac also features in the series, along with his Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds. Credit: Disney+ If Welcome to Wrexham is pure surprise and delight (and in its first two seasons especially, it was), Necaxa is the most nakedly beady-eyed attempt to capture that lightning-in-a-bottle magic, water it down, bulk it up with additives, and pawn it onto an unsuspecting market at double the price. In short, it sucks. Writing about the first season of Welcome to Wrexham a few years back, I described it as 'a gloriously well-rounded portrait of the relationship between a team and a town', and noted that while it never would have been made without Rob McElhenney (as Rob Mac was then still known) and Ryan Reynolds, the club's celebrity owners were 'the least interesting thing' about it. Sadly, the people behind Necaxa didn't get the memo. They think Eva Longoria – a member of a US-based investment group that bought a 50 per cent stake in the Mexican soccer club in 2021 – is the most interesting thing. There are other issues. As a transplant from Mexico City 22 years ago, the team they have chosen to follow simply does not have the emotional connection to the city in which it plays, Aguascalientes, in the same way Wrexham does. And as a fixture in the top flight Liga MX, it's not a struggling club in any meaningful sense, no matter how much drama you might try to wring from its mid-table mediocrity. Eva Longoria fronts the sports docuseries Necaxa, a spin-off from Welcome to Wrexham. Credit: Disney+ Former Desperate Housewives star Longoria is given the nickname la Padrona (the boss) and positioned in the series as if she were the key figure in the narrative. But she's not. We're never told what stake she owns, but the consortium has many members (former Arsenal and Germany star Mesut Ozil among them), so it's likely small. Just like the stakes. When the show opens in 2024, Longoria confesses to having almost no knowledge of the game (despite having been a part owner for three years). She grew up with an NFL-loving father. Her connection to the team, the game, and the city feels like it's being crafted on and for the camera, driven purely by the numbers (Mexican soccer has a huge TV audience in the US). It feels utterly inauthentic.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ubisoft may have prematurely revealed FX's TV adaptation of Far Cry
A post on Ubisoft's news page reportedly announced that FX is working on a TV show adaptation of the Far Cry franchise. The page has since been taken down and entering the website redirects to Ubisoft's landing page for company news. However, several Redditors have been circulating what they saw in the press release. According to the alleged Ubisoft post, the Far Cry franchise adaptation will be an "anthology drama" where "each season will be set in a new world with a different cast of characters following the video game franchise's signature standalone storytelling format." The series is reportedly being co-created by Rob Mac, known for creating and starring in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Noah Hawley, who created Fargo and Legion for FX. The leaked release supposedly detailed that Hawley will serve as the showrunner for the series, while also filling the role of executive producer along with Mac. Several production studios have reportedly joined the project, including Ubisoft Film & Television, which is working on other video game adaptations for the Assassin's Creed and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell franchises. While FX hasn't confirmed anything officially, the leaked cast and crew could be a sign of the next big hit in the world of video games adapted into TV. The recent success of Fallout and The Last of Us indicates a healthy appetite from viewers and Hawley's previous experience could be an appropriate fit for the Far Cry franchise's raw, but darkly comedic style.
Engadget
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Engadget
Ubisoft may have prematurely revealed FX's TV adaptation of Far Cry
A post on Ubisoft's news page reportedly announced that FX is working on a TV show adaptation of the Far Cry franchise. The page has since been taken down and entering the website redirects to Ubisoft's landing page for company news. However, several Redditors have been circulating what they saw in the press release. According to the alleged Ubisoft post, the Far Cry franchise adaptation will be an "anthology drama" where "each season will be set in a new world with a different cast of characters following the video game franchise's signature standalone storytelling format." The series is reportedly being co-created by Rob Mac, known for creating and starring in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia , and Noah Hawley, who created Fargo and Legion for FX. The leaked release supposedly detailed that Hawley will serve as the showrunner for the series, while also filling the role of executive producer along with Mac. Several production studios have reportedly joined the project, including Ubisoft Film & Television, which is working on other video game adaptations for the Assassin's Creed and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell franchises. While FX hasn't confirmed anything officially, the leaked cast and crew could be a sign of the next big hit in the world of video games adapted into TV. The recent success of Fallout and The Last of Us indicates a healthy appetite from viewers and Hawley's previous experience could be an appropriate fit for the Far Cry franchise's raw, but darkly comedic style.
