Football League World
·17 août 2025
The “incredible” reason why Ipswich Town sold Nathan Broadhead

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·17 août 2025
Nathan Broadhead has rejoined the club where he began his career for a club-record move.
Nathan Broadhead has joined Wrexham in a club-record deal for the Welsh side, but Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna was reluctant to see him leave.
On Wednesday, Wrexham announced the transfer of Welsh international Nathan Broadhead from Ipswich in a deal which could reach upwards of £10 million, shattering the club's previous transfer record.
Broadhead was an academy player at Wrexham during his youth, but left the Welsh club to join Everton's academy in 2008 as a nine-year-old.
The 27-year-old struggled to break into the first team at Goodison Park, going out on a series of loan moves to Burton Albion, Sunderland and Wigan Athletic before joining Ipswich on a permanent basis in January 2023.
Broadhead played a key role in the Tractor Boys' back-to-back promotions from League One and the Championship, grabbing 31 goal contributions across both seasons from attacking-midfield.
Last season he struggled to adapt to Premier League football, making just 18 top flight appearances and scoring twice as Ipswich were relegated.
Speaking to the East Anglian Daily Times, McKenna said: "He's a player that we would like to have had here this year, there's no doubt about it. I fully understand his desire to take that opportunity. It's a club, of course, close to home that he has an affinity to. I understand all aspects of that."
McKenna added: "From his point of view, it was a transfer that he wanted to happen. He made that clear right the way through pre-season. In the end, it was a difficult situation to go in another direction.
"Of course, he's on the contract here and he's an important member of the squad. We'd like to have kept him, but, in the end, it wasn't possible. His desire to leave was really, really strong.
"He makes the move to Wrexham. Of course, he goes with fond memories of his time at the club. I know all the supporters will wish him well."
Broadhead came off of the bench in Ipswich's 1-1 draw away at Birmingham City in the opening game of the season and helped his side secure a point.
He didn't appear in Ipswich's squad for their League Cup defeat away at Bromley as he was finalising his return to North Wales.
Wrexham have risen through the leagues in the past few years and have eclipsed Ipswich's achievement of back-to-back promotions with back-to-back-to-back promotions themselves, coming all the way up from non-league.
In many ways, the work that manager Phil Parkinson and co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have done with the club is truly remarkable, and one suspects that this may just be the beginning for Wrexham.
The Red Dragons have shown their statement of intent by completing deals for Lewis O'Brien, Kieffer Moore, Josh Windass and Conor Coady as well as Broadhead as they adapt to life in the Championship.
The signing of Broadhead is not only the biggest outlay for the club so far this window, but in its entire history, offering the Welsh international irrefutable terms to join the club.
Wrexham slipped to defeat at newly-relegated Southampton in their opening fixture, conceding two late goals, but would score two late goals themselves in their 3-3 draw at home to Hull City in the League Cup, eventually winning the tie on penalties.
Manager Parkinson will be hoping that Broadhead will be the missing piece of the puzzle that Wrexham need to help shoot them up the table and become the first-ever side in EFL history to achieve four consecutive promotions from non-league to the Premier League.
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