Wrexham are close to making another significant signing, as Manchester City defender Callum Doyle nears a move to the STōK Cae Ras.
Wrexham’s summer spending has seen nine signings arrive to bolster Phil Parkinson’s squad.
Ryan Hardie, Danny Ward, Liberato Cacace, George Thomason, Josh Windass, Lewis O’Brien, Conor Coady and Kieffer Moore all joined before Nathan Broadhead became Wrexham’s record signing.
Phil Parkinson isn’t finished just yet, and reports this week suggest that Wrexham are close to signing Callum Doyle from Manchester City.
A deal worth around £8million is now in the pipeline, with Doyle on the verge of a permanent exit after four loan spells away from City.
Doyle has spent time with Sunderland, Coventry City, Leicester City and Norwich City but looks ready to fly the nest and join Wrexham.
We spoke to Srinivas Sadhanand from Manchester City News for the expert view on Doyle ahead of his move to Wrexham…
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty ImagesAre you surprised to see Manchester City cash in on Callum Doyle, or were his first-team prospects slim at best?
The sale doesn’t come as a surprise because City have six centre-backs currently in John Stones, Ruben Dias, Abdukodir Khusanov, Nathan Ake, Josko Gvardiol and the Galatasaray-linked Manuel Akanji. Vitor Reis is on loan at Girona as well, a player City signed for £29m, which shows how highly rated he is.
Doyle’s done well on loan at Sunderland, Coventry, Norwich, and Leicester, but ultimately, City probably don’t think he’s first-team ready. However, he looks like a very talented defender and one who could succeed at Wrexham.
Younger talents such as Rico Lewis and Nico O’Reilly have broken through under Pep Guardiola, so why do you think Doyle hasn’t been given chances at City?
Over the years, City have had plenty of established centre-backs on their books, and as gifted as Doyle looks, it was important for him to play first-team football elsewhere. Lewis broke through during a time when Pep dropped Cancelo, and O’Reilly was initially seen as a player who could provide depth in midfield before Gvardiol needed some rest at left-back, and he did a top-class job out there. Youngsters either fill potential problem positions or are just too good not to play. Doyle could well be in the second category, but the likes of Dias and Stones were always far too seasoned at the top level to be displaced by him.
Do you think City will place a buy-back clause into Doyle’s Wrexham move?
I would say they should. City have a buy-back clause in place to potentially re-sign James McAtee from Forest, and I feel Doyle’s a top talent. Doyle can defend out wide and centrally, he’s excellent with his feet and quick. Considering he’s fared well at senior level at several clubs, City should make sure a buy-back clause is in place as Stones and Ake, in particular, are in their 30s, while Dias is 28. Perhaps, Doyle could be a part of their defence in the future, featuring the likes of Gvardiol, Khusanov and Reis.
Doyle is likely to play as a left-sided central defender in a back three at Wrexham, do you think this role will suit him?
Absolutely. From what I’ve seen, Doyle is adept at defending in wide areas and has the athleticism to sweep up any signs of danger when called upon in large spaces, two key components for any defender to play such a role. The Englishman also has the passing range to be able to break the lines and be expansive, making him a potentially perfect fit for the role.
Wrexham are set to pay around £8million to sign Doyle, do you think this represents value for money?
It’s tough to say, really. On one hand, Doyle is still pretty unproven, but when you look at how gifted he is, his successful loan stints and considering he won the England U-19 Euros three years ago, a case could be made that City should demand a higher fee. But if a buy-back is in place, I don’t think it matters that much personally.
Finally, do you think Wrexham fans should be excited about Doyle’s arrival?
Without a shadow of a doubt. Doyle could play for England one day, in my opinion, that’s how talented he is. To be signing a young, modern-day centre-back whose footballing education could arguably not be any better is a very exciting prospect. Doyle is pretty experienced as well for his age, and he could hit the ground running, so Wrexham fans have every reason to be buzzing about his arrival.