HARROGATE, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 03: Ollie Palmer of Wrexham looks on during the Emirates FA Cup First Round match between Harrogate Town and Wrexham AFC at The Exercise Stadium on November 03, 2024 in Harrogate, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
Ollie Palmer and Jack Marriott are among the 12 players currently set to leave Wrexham for free after 25/26
Wrexham fans have waved goodbye to a number of players in the last week and more could follow.
Phil Parkinson confirmed Wrexham players will leave the club this summer on the back of eight stars already being told they will be released.
The club’s retained list was announced on Friday, with some big names now set to depart at the end of their contracts in June.
Ryan Reynolds sent messages to Steven Fletcher and Mark Howard after the duo confirmed their departures.
Wrexham fans weren’t happy with Fletcher leaving the club after he was so crucial to their most recent promotion, but there are now 12 more players who could suffer the same fate this time next year.
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Every Wrexham player out of contract in 2026
Wrexham’s rise up the EFL ladder has been remarkable, securing a historic three promotions in a row.
But as they continue to rise, the quality of player they need in their squad has continued to grow.
It remains to be seen what league the club will be in at the end of the 2025/26 season, but right now, 12 players are due to leave the club for nothing in June 2026.
The standout names on the list, as per Transfermarkt, are long-time servant Ollie Palmer, Jack Marriott and James McClean.
- Jay Rodriguez
- Jack Marriott
- Luke Bolton
- George Evans
- Andy Cannon
- Matty James
- Callum Burton
- Will Boyle
- Jacob Mendy
- James McClean
- Ollie Palmer
- Luke McNicholas
- READ MORE: Rob McElhenney was once sent Paul Mullin transfer advice by Wrexham chief, owner joked he’d be ‘fired’
EFL rule gives Wrexham selection problem
Now they are in the Championship, Wrexham can register a 25-man squad for the forthcoming season.
But that includes goalkeepers and the Dragons must also factor in that Modou Faal and Sebastian Revan are no longer U21 players, so they now count toward that quota.
As already mentioned, Parkinson has said players will be leaving this summer, it just remains to be seen which ones.
Palmer and Marriott were given contract extensions in the middle of 2024/25, but neither player has featured regularly in the last several months.
‘It’s to be admired’… Birmingham City chairman praises Wrexham and ‘genius’ Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney
Birmingham City and Wrexham became rivals in League One this season. But figures of both sides have now shared their admiration for the others.
Birmingham City and Wrexham had very different journeys leading up to this 2024/25. Blues were something of a fallen giant whilst the Dragons had achieved back-to-back promotions under Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
But both teams shared one thing in common: ambition. Birmingham City spent £15million on signing Jay Stansfield and Wrexham spent their share of money too, signing Sam Smith for £2million in January in what was a club record deal.
The two sides are returning to the Championship and many will back them to be competitive in the second tier next time round, as both teams with their American ownership set their sights on the Premier League.
Tom Brady is a part-owner at Birmingham City and a Hollywood ally of Wrexham co-owners Reynolds and McElhenney. Birmingham City also have an American chairman in Tom Wagner.
- READ MORE: Paul Mullin and more… Phil Parkinson has just condemned these six Wrexham players to be sold this summer
Birmingham City chairman Tom Wagner hails ‘extraordinary’ Wrexham
Speaking in a recent interview with iNews, Wagner was asked about Wrexham, and he couldn’t help but share his admiration for the club’s journey. Specifically, Wagner has been impressed with how Reynolds and McElhenney have made huge marketing streams for the club, practically from ‘thin air’, in his words.
Wagner explained: “Purely on the commercial side, it would be impossible to say anyone has done it better than Wrexham, who have created extraordinary revenue streams out of thin air. That is no mistake. It’s a true storytelling genius that Ryan and Rob have brought to that club, and I think it’s to be admired and certainly, to a degree, emulated.”
Wrexham now have a global following, particularly with fans in the USA. Season four of Welcome to Wrexham has now begun too, which will only further Wrexham’s global reach ahead of next season.
