With under a week remaining in the January transfer window, Wrexham have received a £48 million cash injection that could alter their promotion push. Football finance expert Kieran Maguire suggests the £48 million comes from current owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who purchased the club in 2020 for just £2 million. The money is thought to be for infrastructure costs and player recruitment.

Wrexham have been notably quiet in this winter window, facilitating exits such as former captain James McClean and promotion hero Elliot Lee. It is unclear whether the new funds will be used to sign a player before the deadline, but the investment offers another route for the Red Dragons to compete with the capital flowing through the biggest clubs in the Championship.

After spending around £28 million during the summer to bring in 13 new players, a quieter January was always likely. Manager Phil Parkinson reflected on that overhaul: “This summer was the biggest turnover I’ve ever been involved in as a manager,” and added, “That caused a real air of excitement. This one is slightly different in that we made those changes in the summer.” Parkinson also indicated the immediate priority is returning injured players rather than wholesale additions to the squad.

Wrexham remain in the market for a striker and have been linked with Angers forward Sidiki Cherif. According to The Athletic, Parkinson flew out to watch the 19-year-old play against Paris FC on Sunday. Angers are reportedly seeking around £19 million for Cherif, who has scored four goals in 19 Ligue 1 appearances this season. The No. 9 has been the “subject of talks” with Wrexham as the club weighs whether to pay what would be a Championship record fee for a teenager.

A new striker would address persistent scoring inconsistencies. The Red Dragons have scored more than two goals in just four of their 28 league matches this season. Kieffer Moore began well after his summer arrival, scoring four times in his first three Championship appearances, but has managed six goals in 21 league outings overall, three of which came against Coventry City alone. Without further reinforcement in January, Parkinson’s side face a tougher route to making their Premier League ambitions a reality.

Manchester United look set to send two academy graduates out on loan in January after a turbulent first half of the 2025/26 season for both players. Toby Collyer and Harry Amass are reported to be moving to Championship clubs for the remainder of the campaign.

Collyer, a 22-year-old midfielder, made 10 appearances under Ruben Amorim last season before joining West Bromwich over the summer. He registered only three league starts for West Brom before a November calf injury required treatment back in Manchester. The Athletic now report that Collyer is expected to join fellow Championship side Hull City for the rest of the season. League statistics for 2025–26 list his West Bromwich Albion figures as: Games 12, Starts 3, Minutes 253, Usage 23%.

Amass, an 18-year-old left back, has been a regular starter for Sheffield Wednesday this season and has been described more harshly by Amorim. The manager said: “I’m always talking about the same thing, Toby [Collyer] and this injury is returning here,” the Portuguese boss moaned back in December. “He played, he’s from the academy, he played here, went to West Bromwich, he’s not playing.” Amorim also said Amass was “struggling in the Championship” shortly after the player was voted Sheffield Wednesday’s Player of the Month. Amass posted an image of himself with his individual award on social media in the immediate aftermath. His 2025–26 league numbers for Sheffield Wednesday are recorded as: Games 21, Starts 21, Minutes 253, Usage 99%.

Sheffield Wednesday were consigned to administration at the start of the season and have only won one match all season. The Athletic claims Amass is expected to join Championship relegation battlers Norwich City.

Meanwhile, younger prospects remain under scrutiny. Obi was criticised with the line “Chido is not always a starter with the Under-21s” but appears set to stay in United’s youth setup for the remainder of the campaign. With no senior additions planned this winter, Michael Carrick has left open the possibility of promoting from within the academy which Amorim has often dismissed.

Chelsea have moved into the transfer race for 17-year-old left back Yisa Alao, according to a report, joining Liverpool and Manchester United in a tussle for the Sheffield Wednesday defender. The Daily Mail claim that Chelsea have promised a bid of £600,000 after Liverpool and United had both been linked with a package worth around £400,000.

Sheffield Wednesday’s financial collapse is central to the story. The club entered administration in October 2025 and received an 18-point deduction, a sanction that has all but ensured relegation to League One. That situation has increased the likelihood that Wednesday will sell promising academy graduates to balance the books, and local reports say substantial bonuses have been promised to the club as part of the proposed move for Alao. Those reports suggest a deal could be close to completion.

Born in Doncaster and developed through the Wednesday academy, Alao made his senior debut in August 2025. He has since been handed surprise starts in important matches for a side fighting for survival in a season dominated by off-field uncertainty. Wednesday have long expected big things from the teenager.

What stands out in the early stages of his senior career is his composure on the ball. Observers note that the 17-year-old does not appear to be aware of his age or the pressure that comes with a relegation battle in the Championship. Instead he has looked calm both defensively and in possession in senior football, attributes that help explain why three top clubs are reported to be interested.

The reported figures and the context of Wednesday’s financial plight frame the transfer interest: an initial valuation near £400,000, a higher bid proposed by Chelsea, and proposed bonus payments to the selling club as negotiations proceed.