Wrexham owners sent stark warning over Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s bold stadium ambition

Wrexham’s Hollywood owners have been warned that the club’s future could be at risk over plans to increase the capacity of the Racecourse Ground.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have ambitions to one day increase the capacity of the club's stadium to 55,000.

Reynolds and McElhenney have transformed the club since their arrival in 2021, and have insisted that they one day want to guide the Red Dragons to the Premier League. Wrexham have just celebrated their second successive promotion, with the Racecourse set to host League One football next season.

And the pair recently spoke of their long-term ambition to transform the the ground from its current 12,600 capacity to 55,000, which is bigger than Stamford Bridge, St James Park and Villa Park.

However, football finance expert Rob Wilson told OLGB of the financial problems a stadium transformation could inflict on the club.

Wilson said: "Wrexham's new stadium would cost in the hundreds of millions or more, just look at the cost of building materials as well as getting things done.

"Look at Manchester United's stadium estimate, a £2billion rebuild for a 90,000-seat stadium.

“So for Wrexham, you are absolutely talking about hundreds of millions of pounds and they don't currently have the financial resources to be able to do that unless it was a gift.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have ambitions to one day transform the capacity of the club's stadium to 55,000 (Getty)

"I don't know what the net worth is of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney but to pull off something that size there would be a significant amount of borrowing, which will put the financial stability of the club at risk if they don't continue their progression up the leagues."

He added: "To build their new stadium, Wrexham will need Premier League money as well as a lucrative sponsorship deal. Like Arsenal having the Emirates Stadium and also handing over their sponsorship rights.

"A Disney+ Stadium is not out of the question, they're an organisation that has the financial resources and they already have that connection through the documentary."

Topics: Wrexham, Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney, Premier League

Chris Byfield

Sport journalist with experience writing on football, rugby, boxing and the Olympics. I'm also a Crystal Palace fan. Please don't hold this against me.