The two players that, it now appears, Wrexham will cut during the summer transfer window
3. June 5, 2024, at 18:00
Griffin, Tom
This summer has seen a tsunami of exits at Wrexham, but it doesn’t seem like it will end there as two more may be approaching.
Following promotion, Wrexham bid farewell to six first-team players, several of whom were instrumental in their rise from the National League.
Among those leaving the team were captain Luke Young, Aaron Hayden, and Ben Tozer, who together had made 463 appearances for the team.
Since then, Hayden has rejoined League Two side Carlisle United, and Tozer has returned to the National League after being signed by newly relegated Forest Green.
When a club is promoted, part of the process eventually involves selling players as Phil Parkinson tries to bolster his team.
Even with the departure of six experienced players, the club is still overmatched in some areas, especially at striker.
In a friendly football game between Manchester United and Wrexham in the preseason, English forward Billy Waters attempts an unsuccessful shot on goal.
Getty Images has the photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP.
Wrexham may sell Billy Waters and Jake Bickerstaff.
Jake Bickerstaff and Billy Waters are expected to leave this summer, according to reports from the Athletic.
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Although the team hopes to approve a long-term deal for Waters, Parkinson may choose to loan Bickerstaff to a different League Two team.
The 22-year-old played for Accrington Stanley the previous season, making eight starts and scored just one goal in a 3-1 loss to Sutton United.
Parkinson thinks highly of the young player, who scored twice in August and is described as a “very good finisher.” Another loan could help the player continue to grow.
Waters, meanwhile, appears to be nearing the end of his time at Wrexham.
The 29-year-old was brought in from Barrow in March 2023 as Paul Mullin’s backup option. He has since made eight appearances for the team and was unsuccessful in his 11 appearances while on loan at Doncaster Rovers.
Sell Jake Bickerstaff and sell Billy Waters.
Alongside former Premier League players George Boyd and Gary Hooper, current teammates Mark Howard and Aaron James, and two-time World Cup ace Roger Espinosa, Bickerstaff is currently competing for the Wrexham Red Dragons in the TST 7v7 competition in North Carolina.
The Liverpool-born striker, who enjoyed a successful spell at Accrington, is expected to return and be leased out to multiple fourth-tier clubs.
It would be ill-advised to sell a young player with significant center forward potential only to later regret that choice and wish that you had instead allowed him to grow temporarily elsewhere.
While it makes sense to retain Bickerstaff on board, letting Waters go is the right course of action. He’s just not good enough, and Wrexham needs to bolster their offensive line.
In order to help the Reds achieve their promotion goals, Parkinson could invest in a seasoned League One striker to partner with Mullin if he could facilitate a move for the goal-averse Waters.
