Wrexham have confirmed the ambitious signing of Leicester defender Conor Coady.
Mail Sport reported that the centre back, who has extensive experience in the Premier League, was a target for Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac.
Coady, 32, has joined on a two-year contract with the option of an additional year.
He has made 198 appearances in the top-flight and was a mainstay of the Wolves team who twice finished seventh and reached the Europa League quarter-finals. Coady was also part of the England squad for Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup.
‘I’m over the moon. It’s a special day, I’ll be honest,’ he told Wrexham’s website.
‘We’ve all seen what the Club has done over the past few years and for me to join is really special and I can’t wait to meet the boys and get started.’
Coady is understood to have been impressed by the progress the club have made in recent seasons and their vision for the coming years – and Reynolds and Mac believe they can reach the top-flight by 2027 after achieving three successive promotions.
The Welsh side are determined to be aggressive in the transfer market this summer ahead of their first campaign back in the second division for 43 years.
They have already broken their club transfer record twice this summer, first for Empoli left back Liberato Cacace and then for Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien.
However, Wrexham are on the cusp of smashing it for a third time after agreeing a £7.5million move with Ipswich Town for forward Nathan Broadhead.
Mail Sport understands the move for Broadhead is close to being finalised with the offer too good for Ipswich, who had no intention of selling, to turn down with 12 months remaining on the former Wrexham academy star’s contract.
But boss Phil Parkinson has been seeking a new centre back to compliment young stars Max Cleworth and Lewis Brunt in a back three.
Speaking recently, Parkinson admitted that he wanted to get as many of his targets in ahead of their season opener away to Southampton on August 9.
