"He'll see the project" - Wrexham backed to beat Birmingham City & Oxford in Brighton transfer battle | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Wrexham are one of the most talked about sides in the EFL at present, as they look to continue asserting their ambitions.

The North Wales club have enjoyed a rapid rise in stature both on and off the pitch as a result of their well-known ownership duo of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

After returning to League Two for the first time in 15 years last campaign, the Red Dragons eventually made light work of the fourth tier and earned back-to-back promotions, reaching the third tier for the first time since being relegated in the 2004/05 campaign.

League One is now home to plenty of former Premier League outfits looking to rebuild their own paths back to the promised land. But, for a club who have never reached the top flight, Phil Parkinson's men will be doing everything within their power to match such ambitions over the coming years.

Wrexham have the chance to make a statement by signing Brighton midfielder Marc Leonard

That's because the club's interest in Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Marc Leonard has been public knowledge since the club regained their League One status.

As revealed in late May by TEAMtalk, Wrexham were one of the clubs keen on striking a deal for the Scottish engine room operator, and world-renowned transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has since confirmed that they are sitting alongside Birmingham City and Oxford United at the head of the pack for the 22-year-old.

Given Leonard's form and trajectory at both fourth and third tier standard in a more than fruitful two-year loan stint at Northampton Town, it comes as no surprise that clubs from higher up the pyramid have expressed a similar interest.

And Football League World's Wrexham fan pundit, Liam Grice, believes that his side have the chance to send out a statement should they fend off strong competition.

"The link with Marc Leonard is an interesting one," Liam told FLW."He's a younger player that would be on the cusp or, if not, in the first team if he were to sign either on loan or on a permanent.

"Obviously, we're in the race with Oxford and Birmingham who are two quite big clubs.

"Birmingham obviously have quite big financial powers, so it's going to be difficult to match whatever their offer is.

"I think he'll see the project at Wrexham, what we're trying to do here, and see that as a positive more than anything.

"I think it could be a real statement to show the rest of the league that we're not just here to make up the numbers. We want to compete and we do want to be successful - not just now, but in the future as well."

Wrexham face stiff competition in battle for Brighton midfielder Marc Leonard

The newly-promoted side were first said to have expressed a desire for the seven-time Scotland Under-21 international through a report from TEAMtalk on May 26th, which also stated that Leonard could be acquired for a fee as low as £300,000.

This came after the likes of Hull City and Sheffield United - recently relegated from the Premier League - were also linked with a potential swoop alongside the likes of Plymouth Argyle, Cardiff City and Preston North End. However, a report from the Lancashire Post then revealed that Ryan Lowe's side were unable to meet the sufficient wage demands to bring the 22-year-old to Deepdale.

Alan Nixon then claimed that Birmingham are keen to make Leonard their first signing of the summer, as former Tottenham and Leicester assistant Chris Davies has now taken over in the Second City.

Marc Leonard has a big decision to make on his future

All three of the sides - including the Welsh outfit - namedropped in Romano's recent update offer their own perks to Leonard. Therefore, the midfielder has a big decision to make in the coming days.

Having developed his game to an even higher standard after just one season in League One, it could be viewed that a move to the Kassam Stadium is the next natural step, with Leonard yet to feature at Championship level in his career.

However, in the long-term, both Birmingham and Wrexham's ambitions under American ownership groups have been well-documented, and there's no doubt that both will be expected to enjoy strong seasons in the third tier.

As Grice referenced, it may be difficult for Wrexham to compete financially with Tom Wagner's potential offering, but if they were able to fend off strong competition, especially from their divisional rivals, it would send out their clear intentions going into next season.