Wrexham In Major Battle For Highly Rated Cliftonville Forward
Wrexham are interested in signing Cliftonville forward Ronan Hale, but faces competition from several League One clubs, according to Football Insider.
The Welsh side is one of six clubs interested in Hale, who has 8 goals in 12 games in the Sports Direct Premiership so far this campaign. The Irish striker is 25 years old and has already featured for Ireland in all age groups at the youth level.
Hollywood-led Wrexham are keen to boost themselves into League Two this season and believes a signing like Hale could go a long way to helping them. The Red Dragons sit third in the league, two points behind first place with a game in hand.
They do however face competition for the signing of the Cliftonville forward. Bolton Wanderers, Portsmouth, Derby County, Peterborough and Blackpool are all also tracking his progress. Wrexham may face an uphill battle against those League One sides, but they’ve proven they can sign big players to the lower leagues before with Paul Mullin.
Belfast-born Hale is likely to have a huge decision to make this month. Portsmouth will be an intriguing option under Jose Mousinho, with the prospect of a promotion to the Championship increasingly likely. Bolton and Peterborough are not far behind, with all three locked in a battle to be the team to go up a division.
The lure of the Racecourse Ground is a tough prospect to turn down, and the striker may look towards the project being built there as a reason to take a chance with the League Two outfit. Mullin and Steven Fletcher have 14 goals between them this season, and Phil Parkinson will feel an addition of further firepower could ensure back-to-back promotions.
Formerly of Birmingham City, the 25-year-old forward also spent time in the Irish Premier division with St. Patrick’s Athletic. Hale once scored 28 goals in 23 games for Birmingham’s u21s. He currently has a market value of £195k, which is well within the price range of all the clubs interested.
Writer’s View
Hale would be a fantastic signing for any of the clubs interested. His goals could mean promotion for any of the three teams at the top of League One, and could also mean the same for the Red Dragons down in League Two. Derby County however are a team that could do with the signing the most. Injuries to Martyn Waghorn and Conor Washington have left them short up front, and a new striker to carry the load could change the dynamic of their season.
It will be interesting to see where the talented Irish forward ends up. He will no doubt be a fantastic addition to the team who does eventually secure his services in England
