Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have funded Wrexham’s meteoric rise up the leagues, but concerns have been raised over how long their money will make a difference
Concerns have been raised over how long the wealth of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney can continue to fund Wrexham. The Hollywood duo bought the Welsh side for a nominal amount in February 2021, but subject to an immediate £2million investment.
The Red Dragons have since won back-to-back promotions from the National League and League Two under the guidance of manager Phil Parkinson and are now challenging for a third successive promotion from League One. As per Celebrity Net Worth, Reynolds and McElhenney boast a combined net worth of $400m (£309m) thanks to their acting income and savvy business investments.
However, with Wrexham potentially on the brink of reaching the Championship, fears have been voiced over how long their money can continue to be a game changer for the club. The pair have previously highlighted their dream of taking Wrexham all the way to the Premier League, where almost all owners are worth billions, rather than millions.
Former Premier League striker Darren Bent questioned whether it could force them to sell the club during a discussion about the League One promotion race on talkSPORT.
The ex-Spurs, Aston Villa and England star said: “I know they’re worth loads, like 400million, but when does that become not enough? 400million in real life terms is a ridiculous amount of money, like stupid wealth. If they get to the Championship then all of a sudden 400million is still doable, but in the Premier League it’s nothing.”
He added: “I hope they don’t do that (sell the club) after getting them all the way up, because how are they going to survive without them?”
Wrexham’s owners have already taken some steps to shore up the club’s finances, including by bringing new minority investors on board in October last year.
The New York-based Allyn family previously owned global medical device company Welch Allyn before selling the firm in 2015 in a deal reportedly worth more than $2bn. Several large cash injections have followed since their arrival, including a £14.3m share issue which was revealed earlier this month.
The success of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary has also helped to boost the club’s revenue and attract major sponsorship deals with global giants such as United Airlines and Meta Quest. However, talkSPORT presenter Andy Goldstein believes Reynolds and McElhenney could still be tempted to sell to realise a return on their investment.
He said: “It’s all about profit. How much did they buy Wrexham for? I’m guessing it’s nowhere near the amount it’s worth now if they get into the Championship. If they make 300million each over five years then I could see it happening.”
Estimates over how much the pair could raise from selling the club vary wildly, with a recent Bloomberg report estimating that Wrexham are now worth an astonishing £100m – an increase of 4,900 per cent on Reynolds and McElhenney’s initial outlay. Meanwhile, football finance expert Kieran Maguire has placed the club’s value at between £20m to £30m, dependent on the two actors staying involved in some capacity.
Speaking in November last year, the University of Liverpool lecturer said: “Wrexham are in a unique position because the owners are a bigger brand than the club itself. I’ve not seen anything like that before, but Ipswich did leverage a wee bit off the Ed Sheeran factor.
“He’s been their sponsor and he’s added something to merchandise sales with their shirts. Could you get £20m or £30m? Only, in my view, if Reynolds and McElhenney are involved.”
Wrexham are currently third in League One, equal on points with second-placed Wycombe, but behind their rivals on goal difference. Parkinson’s side face another crunch tie on Saturday as they take on fellow promotion challengers Stockport at the Racecourse Ground.
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