The dust has barely settled on Wrexham's historic 2025-26 season, but the focus is already shifting to what comes next. After a dramatic final day that saw them narrowly miss out on a Championship play-off spot, the Red Dragons can still hold their heads high—finishing seventh in their first campaign in the second tier in 43 years, their highest-ever league finish. They also ended the season as the top-ranked Welsh club in the English football pyramid for the first time in a quarter of a century.
But as the club continues its ambitious push toward the Premier League, the question on every fan's mind is: what will it take to take that crucial next step? BBC Sport breaks down the key issues Phil Parkinson and his squad need to address this summer to come back even stronger in 2026-27.
One area where Wrexham truly shined was their clinical edge in front of goal. Despite recording just 820 touches in the opposition box—the second-lowest total among all 24 Championship sides—the Red Dragons netted 69 league goals, a tally bettered by only five teams. Their expected goals (xG) sat at just 56.79, meaning they outperformed expectations by 12.21 goals, the best over-performance in the entire division. Only Hull City and Derby County, their final-day play-off rivals, posted a better shot conversion rate than Wrexham's impressive 13.24%.
The physical presence of players like Kieffer Moore, Sam Smith, and Dom Hyam also proved invaluable. Wrexham's aerial dominance—winning 54.5% of duels in the air—was the joint-best in the Championship, matching promoted Ipswich Town. That strength in both build-up and defensive play was a cornerstone of their success.
However, there's no sugar-coating the defensive side of the game. Just five Championship teams—including relegated sides Sheffield Wednesday and Leicester City—conceded more than the 65 goals Wrexham shipped last season. Facing 203 shots on target, the Red Dragons clearly need to tighten up at the back if they want to make a serious push for promotion.
As the summer transfer window approaches, the challenge for Parkinson and his staff will be to balance the team's attacking flair with much-needed defensive reinforcements. With the right moves, Wrexham could be poised to turn that near-miss into a full-blown promotion charge.