Following Wrexham's blockbuster promotion, the appetite has well and truly been whetted for next season's sequel.
The Red Dragons ended a 15-year exile from the Football League by winning the National League title last weekend, and with the backing of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, Wrexham will be heavily fancied to emulate that success in League Two next season.
But how do they go about it? Stockport County, last year's National League winners, head into the final weekend of the season with a shot at pinching an instant promotion to League One, so it can actually be done. And with a squad as strong as Wrexham's, it probably wouldn't take extensive surgery to make such a feat a reality.
With that in mind, I stepped into the shoes of Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson to try and map out how the Dragons could look in a few months' time: including one Hollywood-esque star...
Saying goodbye
As with any promoted side, departures are a given. It's nothing personal, lads. A host of players, including the likes of Harry Lennon, Reece Hall-Johnson and Bryce Hosannah have been restricted to just a handful of appearances and are prime candidates for me to move on.
Liam McAlinden is another who we won't be keeping with the Dragons being well-stocked in attack. Billy Walters will join him at the exit door while Jake Hyde , who joined Southend on a season-long last summer, is another name we'll move on.
Considering how many goalkeepers the club have on the books, a cull is on my agenda. Mark Howard has been the regular No.1 with Rob Lainton missing a chunk of the season through injury. Rory Watson and Kai Calderbank-Park are also on the books, along with a certain veteran who we'll get to shortly. After clocking up 37 appearances, it's Howard, and Howard alone, who will get the green light to stay from me.
Usually, teams coming up from the National League would be at the mercy from club's higher up the pyramid in terms of transfer interest. But as the Wrexham story is one of, if not the most, captivating tales in football, it's hard to see many players being lured away.
As it's unlikely we'll need to actually raise any transfer funds, we'll stick with the rest of the squad and move onto the fun part...
Incomings
In reality, this is a squad that is more than capable of playing at a higher level (maybe even above League Two) so we don't be making wholesale changes. First things first, though: Ben Foster , sign the contract! Retaining the veteran's services is an absolute no-brainer and from comments he's made since promotion, it sounds as though he's already swaying towards staying on. Bosh.
Our next signing might take a bit more persuasion, though. McElhenney and Reynolds have already flirted with Gareth Bale in a bid to lure him out of retirement. Yes, he's tried to talk it down, but mate, we'd really like you to be apart of the project. Let's chat. In the words of one of Marvel's finest: Whatever it takes, Gareth. Whatever it takes.
With Bale and Foster signed up, we're heaving with star power. But I reckon a sprinkling of star quality in midfield wouldn't go amiss. With that in mind, Wales hero Jonny Williams is next on the agenda. The Swindon Town midfielder is an EFL veteran and, with his contract at the Robins up in the summer, an astute piece of business (which we might need a bit more of if we're signing up Mr.Bale).
Promoted teams normally need a bit of additional firepower to stay afloat. But considering Paul Mullin bagged almost 50 goals last year, and has pedigree at League Two level from his Cambridge United days, I think we're good. Ollie Palmer is also well versed at this level and the level above (AFC Wimbledon were relegated from League One just months after cashing in on the veteran forward).
Elliot Lee has also come to the fore with some important goals, so with him and Messrs Bale, Mullin and Palmer already signed up, we are ready to rock 'n' roll up front. (Sorry but thanks for the offer, Hal Robson-Kanu ).
A bit of added cover at wing-back wouldn't go amiss, though. So, let's give Danny Rose a call. It seems like he's chomping at the bit to get back into football. And if he's a Deadpool fan, we might even be able to get him on the cheap.
