Wrexham’s 6-0 victory over Forest Green Rovers secured their second successive promotion and a return to League One for the first time since 2002. It's a success story that's been powered by the Hollywood money of actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney since 2020, and it doesn't look like stopping any time soon.
The duo have invested large sums of money into the club, town and community and are now planning developments for the Racecourse Ground.
The fairytale run has captured a global audience as the co-owners bring a touch of Hollywood to north Wales, and it's left many people asking how much more Wrexham's players get paid than their rivals.
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Quite simply, Wrexham have had the highest wage bill in League Two this season at around £107,000 per week, almost twice the league average of £58,000.
This figure would put them towards the top of League One too, with only five clubs spending more this season. Their highest earning player is midfielder George Evans, reportedly on £7,200 a week, one of the highest in the division.
Star striker Paul Mullin, who has scored 23 league goals this season, only behind Notts County’s Macauley Langstaff, was reportedly on around £4,500, but a contract extension in January is likely to have increased that.
Wrexham’s total payroll increased this season to £6.91 million, up from £4.05 million in 2022.
Recent years have seen Wrexham splash the cash like never before, smashing their transfer record in 2022 with the £300,00 signing of Ollie Palmer, while former Premier League star James McClean was signed for £250,000 in the summer.
However, things are about to get tougher in League One, with opponents boasting a much higher calibre of player.
This season, Wrexham's squad has been valued at £7.85 million, the highest in League Two, with Arsenal loanee goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo, the most valuable player in the division. But the squad's current valuation would place them only thirteenth in the third tier, directly between Bristol Rovers and Shrewsbury Town.
What's also clear is that if Wrexham are to continue their success and get promoted to the Championship, the financial outlay will have to significantly increase again, with top teams in the second tier paying out up to 10 times what the Welsh club currently do in wages at around £1m a week.
