Wrexham show 'intent' by signing Man City's Doyle

Wrexham have made a "statement of intent" by signing centre-back Callum Doyle from Manchester City, says manager Phil Parkinson.

The Welsh club have agreed a fee which could rise to £8m for 21-year-old Doyle, who is an England Under-21s international.

Wrexham shattered their transfer record to sign Wales forward Nathan Broadhead last week in a deal that could be worth £10m.

Broadhead's signing eclipsed the record set when Lewis O'Brien arrived from Nottingham Forest last month in a deal believed to be worth more than £3m initially.

Doyle is another high-profile acquisition, having gained significant Championship experience on loan at Coventry City, Leicester City and Norwich City.

"I think Callum was at the stage in his career where he's ready to find a home. He'd had a lot of loan moves and [wanted to] be part of something," said Parkinson.

"He's a player in demand. We've genuinely had to compete with some really good clubs to bring him here. I think he's a player of huge potential and it's a good signing for us.

"I think it is a statement of intent that we've won his signature over some established Championship clubs, who've been in the division and Premier League recently, and clubs in other European leagues."

Wrexham have the highest net spend in the Championship so far this summer.

They have also brought in defender Liberato Cacace in what at that stage was believed to be a club-record deal worth in excess of £2m, striker Kieffer Moore and defender Conor Coady for a reported £2m apiece, midfielder George Thomason for more than £1m and forward Ryan Hardie for a reported £700,000.

Doyle is a product of the City academy, though he has never played for the first team having spent the past four seasons out on loan.

Doyle began his senior career with a year-long loan spell at Sunderland, who were then in League One, in 2021-22.

He spent the next campaigns on loan in the Championship, with Coventry in 2022-23, Leicester and then Norwich last season.

Doyle, who will give Wrexham a left-sided option in central defence, already has 158 club games - and two goals - to his name.

He has also played for England at various age-grade levels, though he was not part of the squad which won this summer's European Under-21 Championship.

Wrexham have won three successive promotions under the ownership of Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

They have lost their first two league games of the season, at Southampton and at home to West Bromwich Albion, having returned to the second tier after 43 years away.

Doyle becomes Wrexham's 10th signing since promotion from League One, with manager Parkinson also bringing in Josh Windass after his departure from Sheffield Wednesday and goalkeeper Danny Ward, who was a free agent after leaving Leicester City.