Finance expert reveals how much money Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have lost since buying Wrexham

A football finance expert has revealed just how much Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have lost since buying Wrexham.

The Hollywood pair bought the Welsh outfit when they were lurched in the National League back in 2020, with the deal completed in February 2021 after an overwhelming backing from the 2,000 members of Wrexham Supporters Trust.

Reynolds and McElhenney immediately invested £2 million to show they were serious about taking club forward. The duo have more than delivered and under their stewardship, the Red Dragons have achieved back-to-back promotions and are well in contention to make it a third on the trot as they lie in third place in League One.

With mass exposure received on the 'Welcome to Wrexham' documentary, the club have secured huge deals with brands like United Airlines, TikTok and Reynolds' Aviation Gin.

And it helped quadruple revenue from £2.5 million in 2019 to £10.5 million in 2023.

There are also huge incomings from ticket and merchandise sales as well as TV money but despite that, finance expert Kieran Maguire estimates that Reynolds and McElhenney have lost as much as £20 million as a result of their involvement with Wrexham.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have owned Wrexham for around four years. Image: Getty

Speaking on the Price of Football podcast, Maguire said: “Looking at the losses, Reynolds and McElhenney acquired the club in November 2020. Between that season and 2023, which is effectively two and a half years, they lost £8m, despite all of the benefits of the globalisation of the brand and having international sponsors.

“In terms of putting money into the club, I think you can probably at least double that, so they're probably down somewhere in the region of £18m to £20m as an overall estimate.”

Wrexham have splashed out on big wages, which Maguire believes took a lot of their early funds.

He added: "I estimate that in the National League, they were paying an average of £3,000 a week. Certainly, some high-profile players were on at least twice that, which is unheard of as far as National League wages are concerned.

“If you talk to people in League One and League Two, players were willing to drop down two divisions to join Wrexham. It's a professional career so you follow the money.”

Reynolds and McElhenney have loaned Wrexham £3.67 million and helped initiate the purchase of the Racecourse Ground from Wrexham University in 2022, while they've also made other investments to upgrade the stadium and facilities.

Reynolds and McElhenney would be in line for a profit if they chose to cash in. Image: Getty

In October, it was announced that Allyn family of Skaneateles had become minority owners - with Reynolds and McElhenney hailed them as "the type of partners we will need for this amazing endeavour".

However, Maguire predicts that Reynolds and McElhenney would be in line to make a profit if they sold the club in the near future.

Maguire continued: "If they were to sell the club today, then they would be able to sell and recoup all of those losses.

“If I was looking to buy Wrexham Football Club, I would want to buy it with Reynolds and McElhenney involved as part of the deal for five years, because they are part of the brand of Wrexham.

“It looks really genuine in terms of the enjoyment and the support that they get from the relationship with the club. They are lifelong fans so they would want to keep that relationship.”