Leeds United star should be top of Wrexham AFC's three-man transfer shortlist | OneFootball

Forward options are what the Red Dragons should target in the new year.

Wrexham's transfer windows are never boring, and the upcoming January 2025 one certainly isn't shaping up to be anything different.

With the Hollywood money, and all the lucrative sponsorship deals that have come from that, behind them, the Welsh side will be ready to spend big again in this window if they have to.

This will be one of the first couple of times that Wrexham have gone into any transfer window however with real promotion hopes on their mind without the biggest budget in the division.

To challenge for the top two spots, one of which will almost certainly be occupied by Birmingham City, who have the deepest pockets in the league, more spending may be required, and, since we're in the festive period, there may be a few names that Phil Parkinson will have on his Christmas transfer list.

Ethan Wheatley

In previous seasons, the thing you would have associated with Wrexham was that they had unbelievable offensive firepower, so much so that it was rare that they didn't score in a game.

This season, at least so far, they have flipped back to the way that Phil Parkinson's teams generally were before he made the move to the Welsh side - a bit harder to break down.

Their defensive record is strong, but they could do with some help up top. Alan Nixon reported that the Red Dragons will look to sign a centre-forward in the winter window, which is where Manchester United prospect Ethan Wheatley may come into the manager's thinking.

The 18-year-old striker has been on top form this season for the Red Devils' under-21s side in the Premier League 2, making him a strong option for Wrexham to go for.

Journalist Graeme Bailey revealed in an interview with Wrexham Insider that the League One promotion hopefuls are looking into a move for the teenager in January, but there will be challenges in getting him, namely that United are said to be unsure about what they want to do with Wheatley, and secondly that Wrexham's old rivals, Stockport County, are also interested.

Lewis Wing

Wrexham are no strangers to making outlandish, bold and unexpected transfers.

This move, taking one of their play-off rivals' best players, would fit into that category. Lewis Wing has scored a number of fantastic goals for Reading this season and will surely be looked at by clubs in the new year.

With Elliot Lee suffering with some injury issues here and there, and the potential for Reading to have to sell players, as was confirmed by their boss, Noel Hunt, recently, this is a move that would certainly delight Parkinson and the club's supporters if they managed to make it.

Joe Gelhardt

Some of the most common moves at this time of the season is a club that's challenging for promotion signing an unwanted but talented player from the division above to help with their end-of-season push, and signing Leeds United forward Joe Gelhardt would represent exactly that.

A forward with a number of Premier League appearances, and a couple of goals too, the 22-year-old has struggled to find minutes since the club's relegation from the top flight of English football.

In a separate interview, Bailey told Wrexham Insider that, amid links to another Elland Road forward, Patrick Bamford, Gelhardt could also be someone that Wrexham look to poach from Leeds in January.