"I'm still optimistic" - £7.5m signing given strong Wrexham backing after Phil Parkinson snub | OneFootball

FLW's Wrexham fan pundit has given his verdict on Callum Doyle's time at the club so far following his £7.5 million move from Manchester City.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

It is fair to say that it has not been the start to life at Wrexham that defender Callum Doyle would have hoped for after his big money move from Manchester City.

After winning their third consecutive promotion last season, Wrexham spent a staggering total of £33 million during the summer transfer window as they prepared for the Championship, with Doyle arriving for a fee that could rise to as much as £7.5 million.

Doyle is a product of the City academy, but he never made a senior appearance for Pep Guardiola's side, and he had spells out on loan with Sunderland, Coventry City, Leicester City and Norwich City before departing the Etihad Stadium on a permanent basis this summer to join the Red Dragons.

The 22-year-old won promotion in two of those loan stints, first helping Sunderland win the League One play-offs in the 2021-22 season before being part of the Leicester side that lifted the Championship title in the 2023-24 campaign, so he certainly looked to be a strong signing for Wrexham.

However, Doyle was sent off in Wrexham's 1-0 home victory over Oxford United last month, and after spending the next three matches suspended on the sidelines, he was left benched for the goalless draw away at Portsmouth on Wednesday - and he may face a challenge to get back into the starting 11.

Wrexham verdict issued on Callum Doyle after £7.5m move from Manchester City

When asked if he is concerned by Doyle's slow start to life in North Wales, FLW's Wrexham fan pundit Liam Grice admitted he has been a little disappointed by the defender's performances in a Red Dragons shirt so far, but he backed him to come good and repay the club's significant investment in him.

"I wouldn't say I'm entirely underwhelmed," Liam told FLW.

"I've seen flashes of brilliance, and there's definitely a reason we paid that much money for him.

"Could he have been a lot better than he's been so far? Definitely.

"There's definitely room for improvement.

"He's going to have a tough time getting back into the team with Hyam, Cleworth and Scarr playing as well as they are.

"But for the money we paid for him, he's got definite quality, and if he can show that consistently, then he is going to become one of the best players in our team.

"He's only young, he's got time to grow, so I'm not too worried about that.

"Man City have a return clause in the deal, so they obviously see something in him as well, and if Man City see something in a player, then that's more than good enough for me.

"I'm still optimistic about him, even if his start to Wrexham hasn't been what many people expected."

Wrexham must keep faith with Callum Doyle after underwhelming Red Dragons start

Given the amount of money Wrexham paid for him, there were always going to be big expectations of Doyle this season, but it would not be fair to judge him purely based on his price tag.

It is fair to say that Doyle has failed to impress since joining the Red Dragons, but he has proven himself to be an excellent defender at Championship level previously during his various loan spells, and it would be no surprise to see him rediscover that form again soon.

With Lewis Brunt out for up to 12 weeks with a thigh injury, Doyle would have felt he had the perfect opportunity to cement his place in the team, but Scarr's performances in the last few games have given Parkinson a real selection headache, and the former England youth international may now be facing a serious battle to get back into the starting line-up.