Wrexham agree big-money deal with Premier League club for third summer signing
Wrexham have solved a dilemma that dates back to last season by agreeing a deal with a Premier League club for their third summer signing.
The Red Dragons have not done significant business in the summer transfer window so far, much like several clubs in the Championship.
They signed left-back Danny Imray from Crystal Palace for a fee of around £5 million at the end of July, with the 23-year-old having impressed on loan at fellow second-tier side West Bromwich Albion during the second half of last season.
The Welsh club followed that up by securing the £3 million signing of midfielder Ben Whiteman from Preston North End.
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Whiteman, who was club captain of PNE, had told his now-former manager Paul Heckingbottom that he would no longer play for them upon learning of Wrexham's interest.
Both new signings made their debuts for the club during Friday's 1-0 Carabao Cup first round defeat to Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium, with Imray playing 65 minutes from the start and Whiteman being brought on as a 72nd-minute substitute.
The Red Dragons are now closing in on getting a third deal over the line before the Championship season starts this weekend.
That's according to Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie, who has revealed that Wrexham have agreed an £8 million fee with Sunderland to sign goalkeeper Anthony Patterson.
Wrexham's club-record transfer stands at the £7.5 million they paid to sign forward Nathan Broadhead from Ipswich last summer. That deal could rise to up to £10 million in add-ons, and it is unclear whether any of those have been met.
The goalkeeper position has been a key issue for Wrexham since the end of last season, with manager Phil Parkinson dropping Arthur Okonkwo and replacing him with Danny Ward for the final four games of the campaign.
The pair shared duties during pre-season, with Ward starting the defeat to Boro on Friday night.
Patterson, 26, will bring with him a significant amount of Championship experience, having been Sunderland's starting goalkeeper for three consecutive seasons in the second tier before they secured promotion to the Premier League.
Dutch shot-stopper Robin Roefs was signed by the Black Cats last summer and was immediately installed as the new number one by manager Regis Le Bris.
After serving as understudy to Roefs for the first half of the campaign, Patterson moved on loan to Millwall during the winter transfer window.
He went on to play 16 matches in all competitions and helped Alex Neil's side to finish in third place and reach the Championship play-offs, where they lost to Hull City in the semi-finals.
Patterson will now move to Wrexham, who have been linked with a move for Ipswich goalkeeper Alex Palmer in recent days but have now made their final decision.
Wrexham handed tough start to 2026/27 Championship season
The Red Dragons will kick off their Championship campaign with a derby clash away at Cardiff, who were promoted from League One last season under the management of former Manchester City academy boss Brian Barry-Murphy.
They then have back-to-back home matches against Watford and Birmingham City, before travelling to take on Patterson's former club Millwall at The Den.
After another away derby fixture against Swansea, Wrexham then entertain two of the clubs that were relegated from the Premier League season - Burnley and title favourites West Ham - at the Racecourse Ground.
Phil Parkinson's side will be looking to build on last season's seventh-placed finish, with Wrexham missing out on the play-offs by both a single point and position on the final day of the campaign.
Topics: Wrexham, EFL Championship, Sunderland, Transfer News
Ryan Smart