Wrexham's first summer signing must sign unique contract clause after £5m deal agreed
Wrexham are close to sealing their first summer signing after reportedly agreeing a £5million deal with Crystal Palace for left-back Danny Imray.
The 23-year-old initially came through the youth academy at non-league side Chelmsford City before signing for Palace as an 18-year-old in 2021.
He has quickly risen through the EFL system in the past two years, first on loan at League Two side Bromley in the 2024/25 campaign before moving up to the third tier with Blackpool.
After impressing at Bloomfield Road, Imray was recalled by Palace in January and spent the second half of the campaign at West Brom, helping them to stay in the Championship.
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The Baggies have reportedly been keen on re-signing the left-back this summer, with Stoke City also interested.
But according to The Telegraph's Mike McGrath, Imray is now closing in on a move to Wrexham as their first signing of the summer transfer window.
The fee agreed between Wrexham and Palace reportedly stands at £5million, with Imray set to be kept out of Palace's pre-season tour squad to Italy as he finalises the move.
Alongside his medical and contract formalities, Imray will also need to sign a clause which is unique to Wrexham before his move officially goes through.
The clause is linked to the 'Welcome to Wrexham' documentary, which follows the Red Dragons on their rise up the leagues under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac.
The first series of the documentary was broadcast by FX in 2022, with a fifth series, covering Wrexham's first season back in the Championship, being aired last month.
Former Wrexham captain Ben Tozer told BBC Sport in February: "I remember having signed all the contracts electronically, but when I got to the club there was another bit of paper to sign that was basically about the documentary.
"You become aware of the cameras pretty quickly. I remember someone in the dressing room saying it was all a bit mad, but it's not long before you get used to it."
Why Wrexham have waited so long before making their first signing
Ahead of their first season back in the second tier last term, the Racecourse Ground was a hive of activity as Wrexham looked to bolster their squad for the season ahead of what was an eventual seventh-placed finish.
By this date last year, Phil Parkinson's side had already completed six summer signings, including a £5million move for Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O'Brien and a £2.1million deal for left-back Liberato Cacace from Empoli.
So why has there been a change of approach this time around?
Manager Parkinson stated earlier this month that it is "not an exact science" over when Wrexham make signings, reiterating that they would be "really thorough in our homework on every single player we bring to the club".
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The World Cup has also provided a complication, with Parkinson noting that the club were reliant on Premier League clubs over making their players available for loan.
The issue is that, because many first team players are on extended breaks from playing at the World Cup, those Premier League clubs need their younger players on pre-season training camps to make up the numbers.
He told reporters last Saturday: "There's so much work that goes on, and sometimes it can be a lot of work and nothing comes of it. It's about getting the right players.
"It's about getting the right players. Sometimes you've got to be patient. Don't sign a player just to show everyone, 'Oh we've signed somebody'. It's got to be the right player, because we've got a good squad to start the season."
Topics: Wrexham, EFL Championship, Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney
Ryan Smart