Preparations for Wrexham's first season back in the Football League since 2008 have hit a snag, with their man suffering a grizzly injury
Wrexham were enjoying a dream summer. A tour of the United States had brought them closer to their legions of American fans and they'd even had the chance to square off against the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United.
However, in that latter game, the Dragons suffered a crushing blow. With just over 10 minutes on the clock at the Snapdragon Stadium, United goalkeeper Nathan Bishop came rushing out to contest a loose ball, smashing into Paul Mullin's hip in the process. Mullin immediately looked in serious pain.
At full-time, Wrexham's worst fears were confirmed when Phil Parkinson revealed that his star striker had suffered a punctured lung. It would not be controversial to describe Mullin as the Dragons' best player. He did score 38 goals last season, after all.
It's not yet clear just how much football Mullin will miss, but the injury normally takes around six to eight weeks to fully heal. In the short term, Wrexham do have players who can fill in, but it would not be a surprise to see Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds dip into the transfer market before the season starts, having only made one signing so far this summer.
If they do opt to go down this route, GOAL has collated a list of potential new recruits:
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Gareth Bale
These rumours just will not go away. What started out as a joke on McElhenney's part snowballed into genuine transfer rumours in late spring, with Gareth Bale's agent even having to come out and clarify his client's position on a move to Wrexham.
Even after these comments seemed to end the transfer saga, the speculation has refused to die down. While the majority of this clamour is simply Robins fans trying to will the move into existence, if Wrexham's story has taught us anything over the past few years it's that we can never rule anything out.
Even if he doesn't train and only plays 60 minutes, imagine how many goals Bale could score in the fourth tier of British football.
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Omar Bogle
When Bogle was getting booed by Newport County fans after enduring a 15-match scoreless run, nobody would have expected him to respond by finishing the season on 17 goals, enough to leave him fourth in the League Two top-scorer rankings.
Bogle eventually broke his drought by netting a brace against high-flying Stevenage in February and after the game he spoke about the mental toll that the boo boys had on his psyche: “It’s hard to hear but as time went on, and it’s been over a month now, I’ve become immune to it. Even on Tuesday I heard some [shouts] at the beginning of the game, at first it got in my head but now it’s water off a duck’s back. I’ve never had it before with people getting at me, clapping and cheering in a negative way when I’ve been taken off. You just have to stay strong and the only way for me to respond is to put in good performances and score goals. I’ve just got to do my job."
To bounce back and finish the season so strongly – he scored seven times in County's final eight games – shows a real strength of character and it may have turned a few heads in north Wales.
The Exiles will not let him go without a fight, though. Additionally, his patchy scoring record raises a few concerns, particularly as he is unlikely to improve too much at the age of 29.
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Ali Al-Hamadi
If Wrexham want to recruit younger, there are few strikers in this age bracket with higher potential than Ali Al-Hamadi. Still only 21, the Iraq international managed 10 goals in just 19 appearances for AFC Wimbledon during the 2022-23 campaign.
The fan-owned Dons are not exactly flushed with cash either, meaning Wrexham would easily be able to offer Al-Hamadi better wages should they decide to try and sign him. Saying that, reports suggest they could face competition from the likes of Burnley and Sheffield Wednesday – though those clubs' priorities may have shifted following their respective promotions.
As a player, Al-Hamadi is capable of scoring all sorts of goals, but he is probably best described as a poacher. His movement inside the box makes him a nightmare to defend against and he loves getting on the end of crosses.
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Gary Madine
Football League journeyman Gary Madine is available on a free transfer after Blackpool opted against offering him a new deal at the end of the 2022-23 season. He has a decent goal record throughout his career, though he has suffered off-field problems too.
In 2010, he was charged with causing actual bodily harm and sentenced to 250 hours community service. Three years later he was handed an 18-month prison sentence after assaulting two men in a Sheffield nightclub. While he has stayed out of trouble since, his arrival could cause PR issues for Wrexham – a club more sensitive than most to how social media and the wider world views them.
In terms of what he could bring on the pitch, Madine is the typical target man. He is physically imposing and capable of bringing his strike partner into play as well as finding the back of the net himself.