Wrexham wave goodbye to loaned fullback Issa Kabore who now heads back to parent club Manchester City despite a positive Championship spell.
Two weeks have passed since Wrexham’s final Championship game against Middlesbrough. Phil Parkinson’s men pushed Boro to the limit with a 2-2 draw but that wasn’t enough.
Wrexham needed a win, or atleast Hull City to go winless to march into the playoffs. None of them happened. And now the Red Dragons are looking forward to the next Championship season while Hull City eye a Premier League promotion via the playoffs final.
Wrexham were inconsistent this season, that’s for sure. Still that’s not to say the club needs a complete revamp to be able to push for a Premier League spot next year. 3-4 shrewd additions to the first team and a strong bench will be enough.
Now, Wrexham knows which position they need to strengthen first. The Red Dragons have released the first major transfer announcement of the summer with an Issa Kabore goodbye.
Wrexham confirm Issa Kabore loan return to Manchester City
In their own words, Wrexham waved goodbye to Issa Kabore saying: “Issa Kaboré will return to Manchester City as his loan move comes to an end. Good luck for the future, Issa”
After being snapped on a deadline day loan move during the 2025 summer transfer window, Kabore went on to make 32 appearances for Wrexham. The 25-year-old fullback introduced himself to the club in some style, claiming 2 assists on his Wrexham debut in a thrilling 3-2 win over Norwich City.
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Overall, Kabore notched up 8 assists for Wrexham throughout the course of his season long loan. Most of those assists came on crucial occasions like the wins over Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday, as well as a final day assist to Sam Smith to keep Wrexham’s playoffs hopes alive.
Undoubtedly, Issa Kabore leaving is a big blow for Wrexham. One, which the club could have avoided by signing him on a permanent basis from Manchester City. A modest £3m transfer fee was rumoured to be the asking price yet Wrexham opted against it.
What next for Wrexham and Issa Kabore?
Starting with Issa Kabore, it’s crystal clear that his status as a third choice right-back at Manchester City isn’t due to change over the summer. At 25 and in the last year of his City contract, Kabore needs regular game time wherever he plays. A transfer to a bottom table Premier League team or a promoted side can be a possibility.
Kabore has fared positively in the Championship whenever fit, and was a regular for Luton Town in their last Premier League campaign. Other options could be going to a Championship rival like Millwall, Middlesbrough and Norwich City who will be early promotion favourites for next season.
Talking about Wrexham, the task is simple. Build a squad worthy of fighting for automatic promotion from the get-go in 2026/27. There will also be 6 playoffs places according to the new EFL Championship playoff format, meaning Wrexham have a rather easy challenge adapting to the upcoming season as they had 12 months back.
One of the biggest issues that held Wrexham back was a lack of proper backups for Issa Kabore and Liberato Cacace. Midfield was never a worry until February, after which Wrexham missed starting midfielders Ben Sheaf, Matty James and George Dobson for large parts of the Championship run-in.
Phil Parkinson and co should thus, focus on adding more depth to these positions. Doing that could very well be the difference in deciding Wrexham’s Premier League fate.
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