January action may reveal Wrexham AFC stance on Paul Mullin future | OneFootball

With Wrexham in need of more firepower in January, the type of deal they seek out could highlight their take on Paul Mullin's future.

Key Takeaways

Wrexham AFC’s January transfer window could potentially reveal their stance on the future of their striker Paul Mullin.

The Red Dragons’ star man of recent years has struggled to adapt to League One level in the early part of the season and, with another transfer window on the horizon, his time in North Wales could be nearing its close.

Wrexham would no doubt be reluctant to let him go, given his goal record across the last few seasons and the fact that he has become a central figure on all fronts since Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny’s takeover.

However, more firepower is essential for Phil Parkinson’s side in January and provides an opportunity for them to inject a little more youth into their frontline.

Mullin has struggled for form in League One this term

Mullin’s goal record in the National League and League Two is phenomenal, without a doubt.

His remarkable recent record has seen him net 32 and 24 goals in his two most recent seasons in League Two, and 28 and 38 goals in his two most recent National League campaigns.

At League One level, however, the Liverpudlian has never really been able to hit the same heights. He scored three times in 20 games for Tranmere Rovers in 2019/20, in what is his only previous experience of the third tier.

He has also struggled in League One this campaign, with just one strike to his name from 17 appearances so far.

With Mullin now 30 and Wrexham badly in need of more firepower, the time for him to move on could well be approaching in the near future.

Although they have the division’s best defence (Wrexham have conceded just 11 times in their 19 games), Parkinson’s men need more in front of goal.

They’ve scored the joint-lowest number of anybody in League One’s top six and, although that doesn’t necessarily matter if you keep clean sheets regularly, given the quality of the rest of the sides at the top end of League One, they will likely need more goals if they are to sustain their promotion push for a third successive promotion.

Five of their 12 wins have so far have been by a 1-0 scoreline and while getting over the line in tight games is usually a hallmark of a successful team, logic would suggest you can’t keep doing it time and again.

The type of transfer Wrexham go for could have a huge impact on Mullin’s future

With considerable resources (even by League One standards) available to them, it’s highly unlikely Wrexham won’t make an addition to their forward line in January.

The type of deal they seek out could say a lot about their plan for Mullin over the next year or so.

Typically, Wrexham have favoured deals for experienced frontmen with big reputations, with the likes of Steven Fletcher, Jack Marriott and Ollie Palmer all coming into the club and doing well. The recent addition of Jon Dadi Bodvarsson was another striker in that mould.

With those four plus Mullin, Parkinson has five strikers at the club who are the wrong side of 30, and although they’re all effective in their own right, they desperately need more youthful options.

The acquisition of Mo Faal from West Brom for £500,000 in the summer was perhaps an acknowledgement of this, but he has gone on to make just three appearances in the league so far.

It’s starting to feel like the attacking options that have helped them to their last two promotions are starting to hit the wall to an extent; the quartet of Mullin, Palmer, Fletcher and Bodvarsson have just five league goals between them this campaign.

Mullin’s future could well be dictated by how the Red Dragons choose to play the January market.

If they go for either another experienced big name, or a loanee like Ethan Wheatley (who they’re currently rumoured to be battling Stockport for, according to Wales Online), it suggests their issue is perhaps something more short-term, and they think Mullin could still have a role to play in this season and beyond.

However, if they opt for a younger striker on a permanent deal, it would suggest they’re succession planning, meaning Mullin’s future could be up in the air potentially as soon as the summer.

And while nobody at Wrexham would like to see them part with a man who has brought them so much success, you must make ruthless decisions sometimes in order to keep progressing as a club.