Exclusive: Don Goodman reacts to "staggering" Wrexham and Birmingham City wage revelations | OneFootball

Speaking exclusively to FLW, current EFL pundit Don Goodman offered his thoughts on the hefty contracts reportedly being prepared by both clubs.

With reports that Wrexham AFC are prepared to offer Fulham skipper Tom Cairney a staggering £50,000-a-week-contract, and their League One promotion counterparts Birmingham City proposing £30,000-a-week for Peterborough winger Kwame Poku, eyebrows are certainly being raised across the Championship.

It is clear both clubs don't want to waste time in preparing for the new Championship season. Wrexham's reported interest in Cairney gives us a little taste as to the calibre of player they want to recruit, as the 34-year-old has experienced promotion from the Championship three times.

Spending the last ten years in West London, Cairney is out of contract this summer and would become Wrexham's highest-paid player of all time if he makes the move.

Then, as revealed exclusively by Football League World, Blues £30,000-a-week proposal to Kwame Poku shows that last season's League One champions are equally prepared to spend lump sums to compete in the second-tier.

Don Goodman delivers verdict on Tom Cairney, Kwame Poku prospective wages at Wrexham AFC and Birmingham City

It is under no illusion that Wrexham's Hollywood ownership has transformed the Red Dragons financial power, and Knighthead Capital Management Group of Birmingham City has likewise demonstrated their willingness to already spend.

The Welsh club persuaded Paul Mullin to drop from the professional leagues after he won the League Two golden boot with Cambridge United in the 2021/22 season. Last season, blues then paid Fulham more than £15m for Jay Stansfield to help them on their way to a record 111 points.

Speaking exclusively to FLW, current EFL pundit Don Goodman offered his thoughts on the hefty contracts reportedly being prepared by both clubs.

"If those figures that you’ve quoted are true, fifty thousand pounds a week that Wrexham are prepared to pay Tom Cairney and thirty thousand pounds a week Birmingham are prepared to pay Kwame Poku, then they will be two of the highest paid players in the Championship, he told FLW.

"That in itself is staggering really to be fair but those are two players that would undoubtedly help those two clubs in the Championship next season, there’s no question and if thats the kind of money that its going to take for them to attract that kind of player then fair play to them."

"It’s just a case of how many others can you put on those kind of wages, and if it’s not many is there going to be resentment and disharmony in the changing room, i’m not sure about that so yeah impressive numbers but they don’t really guarantee you anything."

To add some context, unsurprisingly, both wages would place each player among the highest earners in the Championship. Cairney would be tied with three others on £50,000-a-week, not including relegated Cardiff's interim manager Aaron Ramsey.

Championship rivals to be mindful of Wrexham AFC and Birmingham City summer recruitment

In just over two weeks, (on July 1st) the transfer window will open for ten days, then reopen on the 16th. The rest of the Championship will be keeping a close eye on the two promoted clubs' business, and maybe with some concern, as if both clubs spend heavily before a ball has been kicked, they could establish themselves as genuine promotion contenders.

Neither club is going to enter the Championship with the view of being in a relegation fight. With Wrexham aiming for their fourth successive promotion in a row, and Tom Wagner revealing Birmingham will have the largest revenues of a non-parachute payment side, it seems the days of newly-promoted sides just aiming for survival is over.

It remains to be seen if their big plans will actually result in a promotion push or a good season entirely, but as Goodman put it, they have definitely made their intentions known to the rest of the division.