2 contracted Wrexham AFC players that could follow Paul Mullin out of the club this summer | OneFootball

Two players currently under contract with Wrexham AFC that may follow Paul Mullin out the door

When a spot in the Premier League is at stake, clubs will pull out all the stops, even if it means dumping players currently under contract.

Wrexham AFC will surely make a big splash in the summer transfer window to piece together a squad capable of getting promoted for a fourth successive campaign.

For as much praise as Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have got for this club's success, the two A-list celebrities have had to make some shrewd and some might say cut-throat decisions to get to within one season of English top-flight football.

Wrexham have cut ties with numerous popular figures

In business, sometimes you have to make tough calls for the greater good of your company, and that's no different in football.

Reynolds and McElhenney, along with manager Phil Parkinson, have made their share of unpopular decisions which have paid off for this club.

Among them, the Red Dragons released former captain Luke Young last year, while earlier this month they said goodbye to veterans Steven Fletcher and Mark Howard.

Parkinson, meanwhile, benched Paul Mullin in February to the dismay of many supporters. The move helped show the true potential of this squad in League One, with many others contributing. It's ruthless, but it's done the job for this club so far.

Mullin is under contract with the Red Dragons until 2027. Still, according to Alan Nixon, League One side Wigan Athletic are eyeing a move for the seventh-highest goalscorer in club history, per the Wrexham Archives.

Mullin may not be the only player currently under contract who could leave the club before his deal expires. Here are two other contracted players that could leave the Red Dragons this summer.

Ollie Palmer

Like Mullin, Ollie Palmer has been a fine ambassador to this club and has had some exceptional campaigns at Wrexham. He was a vital secondary scorer with the North Welsh outfit in the National League and League Two.

However, he fell out of favor with Parkinson this past season, only featuring in 27 games with three goals and two assists. He's got 44 goals in 149 appearances for them across all competitions since arriving halfway through the 2021-22 season.

Palmer still has a year left on his contract at Wrexham, but it is a mystery whether that will be the case by the end of the summer.

"First of all, everyone's made a contribution. What level that has been doesn't matter because everybody's been together and contributed," Parkinson said to BBC Sport Wales earlier this month.

"Mulls and Ollie will always be legends at this club for what they've done. They're under contract next year, and they'll be back in pre-season ready to go again," he added.

If the club have a chance to add someone with Championship quality and experience though, Palmer could be on his way out. The Epsom-born striker hasn't played a single Championship fixture in his footballing career and even his third-tier stats all-time aren't exactly off the charts.

Palmer also told the London Press in 2022, prior to leaving for Wrexham, that he'd like to return to AFC Wimbledon one day.

"Hopefully, one day, I can come back to Plough Lane and get a fantastic reception. The fans are unbelievable."

He's provided Wrexham with many great memories and he, along with Mullin, deserve to be honored in a return to the Racecourse Ground at some point.

That said, there are many third and fourth-tier EFL sides where Palmer could thrive, including Wimbledon, and it may be best that he finds a new or perhaps old home that isn’t in Wrexham.

Andy Cannon

Parting ways with a player of Andy Cannon's capabilities would be quite difficult for Wrexham. When he went down with a ruptured ACL in February, it was a devastating blow for him and the club. Without his skill to call upon, Parkinson was forced to take an almost exclusive defensive approach and hope the work rate and quality of Sam Smith and Steven Fletcher could get them over the line.

While it did, the ride may have been much smoother with Cannon's quality.

Cannon was strong at both ends last season, with 39 touches in the opposition's box, two goals and winning 76.6% of his tackles in League One per FotMob.

Cannon showed when he was healthy that he could be a provider, carry a heavy workload, and score some marvelous goals. Unlike Palmer, Cannon showed he could contribute consistently in League One.

He’s been involved in four successive EFL promotions, with his first being on loan at Stockport County in the 2021-22 National League campaign, and his last three coming with the Red Dragons.

He's not just been in those teams, though; he's played a part in all those promotions, especially at Wrexham.

On the other hand, his injury will take some time to rehabilitate, and there are questions about what he’ll be able to do once he's healed.

He's one of the closest things the club have to a number 10 right now, but plenty of other players with Championship experience and elite skills will be available this summer.

Given that it could take the 29-year-old until next year to be fully fit, finding a club that wants him may be tough. If that's the case, though, it wouldn't be fair to him or the club to wait that long to see what he's got. Therefore, a release may be in the cards.

Given his skill, he's a player who may attract Championship interest; unfortunately, it may not be with the Red Dragons.

Cannon's contract at Wrexham expires in 2026 with an option for 2027.