Financial expert Dan Plumley’s comments on the Red Dragons’ 2026 summer friendly hint that Wrexham might be on route to becoming the new Manchester United in the English football pyramid.
Not even 5 years ago, reading a headline comparing Wrexham and Manchester United would’ve been comedy gold. Fairly so, given who would’ve even thought of mentioning a National League side in the same breath as the record Premier League winners.
Don’t call what’s happened magical, but the “Welcome to Wrexham” mission led by Ryan Reynolds & Rob Mac. While the English division had witnessed multi-billion-dollar takeovers before, the celebrity owners formulated a success case study that nobody saw coming through.
And the best part? Wrexham’s story has been far more than their on-field success. While the three consecutive promotions have been a highlight, Rob & Ryan’s biggest win has been the exposure they’ve given the club.
Through the documentary’s worldwide success, the owners have taken the Welsh club to each and every English household. Possibly explaining why, despite supporting any club or fanbase, the netizens remain curious to know of Wrexham’s upcoming game.
Returning to the comparison that we teed off initially, the Red Dragons’ brand growth has them drawing parallels with the Red Devils. And while there remains a tier separation between them, Wrexham’s success model can be understood as a revised plan of Man Utd’s growth.
Turning through the pages of history, Manchester United was among the first clubs to target global audiences, beyond just spreading the word of football. Through tours like Asian friendlies, the Red Devils began commercialising their brand value, long before it was common for PL clubs.
Not to exaggerate, but Wrexham’s story has been a better adaptation of the Man United model in the lower EFL tiers.
Having heard the inside tales of Wrexham’s preseason tours, Mac Rob & Ryan Reynolds’ detailed focus on attracting a quality audience remains evident. And with a tour of the US, Canada and Australia done previously, this time the club is reportedly exploring a Finland tour to harness a European audience.
Wrexham is the bigger winner from the Man United friendly
An interesting aspect of this Wrexham-Man United comparison model dwells on their upcoming 2026 friendly. While the trip to a Scandinavian country falls within both their brand-first perspective, the one-off clash is predicted to be a big money contest, too.
Listen to what expert Dan Plumley revealed to Football Insider, talking on the financial aspect of the game. Plumley said: “So no doubt it will be financially lucrative. I think probably, if you look at it proportionally, Wrexham stands to benefit more just given the two clubs. It’ll be a boost to Manchester United’s finances, but it’ll be a bigger boost to Wrexham’s.”
Now, the sporting winner is in the hands of the future, but Dan’s verdict says it clearly on how Wrexham is the undisputed winner in every other aspect.
Certain to bank in a couple of millions from the contest, while spreading their brand word in Europe, Wrexham can’t practically lose in the contest. Add this with a lucky win, similar to their last Man United take-on in 2023, and the Dragons can’t ask for anything more.
Interestingly, that’s not even counting the squad upgrade opportunities this game presents to the Welsh club. The last time Wrexham faced Man United, they stood quite below in the league tier to ask for direct transfers.
That’s definitely changed this time around, and one mustn’t completely write off the possibility of Wrexham favouring their promotion charge with some signings for Man United’s out-of-favour stars.
Time and again, Red Devils’ departees have proven to be massive hits. Well, who knows if Wrexham double down on this strategy, they might play the club the next time in the Premier League?
