The 5 most ridiculous Wrexham AFC transfer links since Reynolds & McElhenney's takeover | OneFootball

Five superstars that Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney never had a chance to sign despite the rumours

The transfer seasons are littered with rumours of big-name players joining numerous clubs, many of which can be far-fetched and mind-blowing to think about.

When you reach the celebrity status Wrexham AFC have under A-list Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, all sorts of big names may be linked with a move. The fact that the two actors have been able to sign so many players with a vast amount of experience in the Premier League or Championship speaks volumes to the salesmanship that Reynolds and McElhenney possess, along with the powers of persuasion that fame and fortune can do to a player.

From bringing the experienced Ben Foster out of retirement to paying big money for the likes of Paul Mullin, Ollie Palmer, Sam Smith, Jay Rodriguez, and Steven Fletcher, Wrexham have been able to add an array of overqualified players to their squad since the takeover.

Having such a successful brand and a history of adding experienced players to their squad makes some of Wrexham's transfer links under Reynolds and McElhenney much more believable to supporters.

Since the takeover, the Red Dragons have had their share of high-end talent linked to a move with this club, many of whom sound too good to be true.

Here are Wrexham's top five most ridiculous transfer links under Reynolds and McElhenney.

Zlatan Ibrahimović

Throughout his career as a footballer, Ibrahimović had remarkable technical ability for such a towering presence. He scored some of the most memorable goals in the history of the game, including an exceptional overhead kick against England in a November 2012 friendly that may go down as the greatest goal of this century.

The Swedish international was an exceptional attacking talent during his playing career, with a nose for a goal, along with terrific vision and technical ability that people who are 1.95m in height can only dream about. For both club and country, the native of Malmö flourished and was a consistent contributor.

In April 2025, Matt Jansen, a former Wrexham striker, suggested to FruityKing that the Red Dragons would suit the Swede, who retired from the game in 2023. Publications like The Mirror picked up the story, but it appears to be nothing more than a pie-in-the-sky thought without any real truth behind it. Jansen may know what it's like to play at the top levels of the Premier League, and he's been a manager as well, but there never seemed to be any weight to that rumour.

Ibrahimović won four different top-flight domestic titles, competed in numerous World Cups and Euros, and earned legendary status at many of the best clubs in the world as a player. Even if he came out of retirement to play for Wrexham, it's unlikely his reputation as an elite footballer would be any better playing in the lower leagues. Besides that, his injury history might put him at greater risk of getting hurt again. Does he truly need the money? This rumour seems like nothing more than smoke and mirrors.

Sergio Ramos

In the prime of his footballing career, there may have been no better clutch defensive performer in big games this century than Sergio Ramos. The multiple Champions League, La Liga, and Ligue 1 winner has had a sensational career, which appears to be winding down in Mexico for Monterrey. He scored goals in the Champions League and Club World Cup finals and helped Spain lift the World Cup in 2010 and claim two Euro crowns in between.

In a story picked up from Wales Online, Fernando Morientes, who, like Ramos, won multiple Spanish top-flight and Champions League titles with Real Madrid, suggested the man born in Camas may be interested in playing for Wrexham. "Could we see Sergio Ramos at Wrexham? Well, once you leave Real Madrid and that top media spotlight, you have a lot of choice," said Morientes.

Ramos coming to Wrexham would have grown the club's image that much more, but what kind of message would that have sent to the team's solid backline? Having Ramos on the team doesn't seem like anything Parkinson ever wanted, nor would it have made much sense given his age and the demands of lower-level football. The idea of him joining Wrexham felt like a lose/lose for everybody.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo will go down as one of the greatest attacking players in the game's history. He's consistently scored goals and has been an elite footballer. It's hard to argue with those who believe he's the most well-rounded individual footballer ever, as he's a master at free kicks, great in the air and both feet.

TribalFootball.com touted Ronaldo for a move to North Wales in what would have been a shock transfer back in November 2024 through an interview they conducted with one of the Portuguese's former coaches at Manchester United, René Meulensteen. The Red Devils' former first-team coach said: "It's an intriguing idea, and with his new profile on social media, it might help that stretch into Hollywood with the Ryan Reynolds connection."

Ronaldo in Red Dragon colours would have transformed this small club into a team known and followed the world over, and he probably could've scored his share of goals for fun and helped Wrexham in the process.

That said, Wrexham's already gained notoriety around the globe, while Ronaldo is a celebrity off the field, and it's highly unlikely his legendary status would grow that much more in Wales.

Gareth Bale

While Gareth Bale's links to Wrexham were true, with Rob McElhenney publicly offering him a contract, it's difficult to imagine a world where this would've been beneficial to the Red Dragons.

In June 2024, the BBC reported that the offer made to Bale after the Red Dragons had been promoted into League One was "still on the table". Like Ibrahimović, though, it would've been difficult to fathom what the Welsh superstar, who won five Champions League crowns with Real Madrid, could actually do in North Wales, given his injury history.

Bale lost a step that even playing in the lower EFL levels may have been difficult to imagine, while he'd rarely been fit in his final season as a player with Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer. He may have scored the equalising goal in the MLS Cup final for them, which enabled his side to win on penalties, but overall, that season clearly showed Bale was a shadow of his former self and not capable of being the star we saw at the Bernabéu.

Hal Robson-Kanu

The links of former West Bromwich Albion forward Hal Robson-Kanu were the complete opposite of those of his Welsh national teammate Bale. The man born in Acton actually offered to come out of retirement to join Reynolds and McElhenney's team in April 2023, posting on his Instagram account: "I'll come out of retirement and come and play for Wrexham AFC next season. I'll also give my salary to the charity of the fans choosing..."

Robson Kanu was capped 46 times for Wales and scored a famous goal in a 3-1 upset win over Belgium to take them into the semi-finals of Euro 2016. He was beginning to fall out of favour at West Brom though in his final season, making 19 appearances and scoring twice in their 2020-21 Premier League campaign.

While Wrexham may have the drive and promotional aspirations that Robson-Kanu said the Baggies didn't have, it's hard to see where he'd have fit in under Parkinson. His contributions weren't massive in the top flight, though he had the versatility to play out wide or down the middle.

He'd incurred his share of serious injuries and hasn't played since 2021. Even at the time of his link to Wrexham in 2023, that would've been a lengthy time away from the pitch and for someone who'd played second-fiddle throughout most of his career, heightening the risk to Wrexham actually doing this deal.