2 months ago
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Wrexham's acquisition of former Liverpool star Conor Coady has been criticized as one of the most disappointing deals of the summer.
The Red Dragons made a move to purchase the former Everton and Wolves defender, who started his career at Liverpool, from Leicester in August. The arrival of the 32-year-old on a two-year contract was viewed by some as a bold move by the newly-promoted Championship team, owned by Hollywood celebrities Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac.
It's easy to understand why, considering Coady has accumulated nearly 200 Premier League appearances throughout his career and was part of the England squad for Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup. Initially, things looked promising as the center-back featured in each of Wrexham's first five league matches this season.
However, after a shaky performance in the club's 3-1 home loss to Queens Park Rangers in mid-September, he was benched and hasn't played since.
One soccer agent has now labelled the decision to bring Coady to North Wales as one of the worst of the summer. This follows a survey conducted by The Athletic, which asked 20 player representatives to evaluate this summer's transfer activity.
Coady's transfer was one of only two involving Championship clubs to feature on the list of the poorest deals, with Omari Hutchinson's move from Ipswich to Nottingham Forest also highlighted.
The rest was dominated by Premier League business as Benjamin Sesko's transfer from RB Leipzig to Manchester United gathered the most votes with seven, while James Trafford's switch from Burnley to Manchester City received three votes.
Wrexham splashed out approximately $44 million on new players in the summer after securing its third consecutive promotion.
The Red Dragons only recouped a nominal amount through player sales, making their net spend higher than European heavyweights like Barcelona, Valencia, and AC Milan.
Coady's shaky start at Wrexham follows criticism from some Leicester supporters over his form last season as the Foxes were relegated from the Premier League.
Others lamented the amount of time he spent doing media work, claiming he appeared on the radio and TV more often than he did on the pitch. The defender has served as a pundit for BBC Radio 5 Live and Sky Sports on several occasions since joining Wrexham.
However, being media savvy isn't necessarily a negative at a club that has been transformed into a global brand thanks to the success of the Disney+ docuseries Welcome to Wrexham.
Coady still has ample opportunity to silence his critics, and he has also been contributing in alternative ways at Wrexham.
Boss Phil Parkinson disclosed how Coady's knowledge of his former club Leicester proved beneficial for the coaching team ahead of the team's 1-1 stalemate at the King Power Stadium at the end of last month.
"His knowledge about Leicester was very helpful for us," Parkinson said. "We had Conor come in with us and the analysts, and he was talking through the individuals. As a staff, we've watched a lot of the players... but having that extra insight as well was invaluable for us."
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