Ryan Reynolds told to stump up £4m as Wrexham face transfer battle for European ace

Wrexham's Hollywood owners have been urged to dig deep into their pockets as they aim to secure the services of Swedish defender Hampus Skoglund. Reports surfaced on Monday that the Red Dragons are in a tug-of-war with German club Mainz over the 21-year-old right-back.

Skoglund, who currently plies his trade for Stockholm-based team Hammarby IF, has been turning heads with his performances over the past year and a half. Since making his debut for the Swedish club, he has racked up 65 appearances and provided seven assists, helping his team to a second-place finish in the Allsvenskan last season.

Wrexham, currently sitting ninth in the Championship and just a point away from the play-offs, are believed to be working on a £2.6million deal to lure Skoglund to the Racecourse Ground. However, according to FotbollDirekt, Hammarby are not willing to consider any bids below 45 million Krona (£3.6m).

The Swedish news outlet suggests that the club might even hold out for as much as £4m before agreeing to let go of the Swedish under-21 international. Wrexham are certainly not strapped for cash since being taken over by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac in 2021.

The pair brought new minority investors on board in December as part of a deal that reportedly values the club at a staggering £350m. Wrexham are making a strong push for Premier League promotion after notching up four consecutive wins in the Championship over the festive period.

• Wrexham warned against January transfer panic after £33m spending spree

• 'I'm a former Premier League ace who loves Wrexham - here's the January signing they need'

Manager Phil Parkinson is eager to bolster his squad ahead of the season's final stretch, having already splashed out £33m on new talent during the summer. Club officials have confirmed that the ex-Sunderland boss will have funds available for the January transfer window, although it's anticipated to be a quieter affair.

Speaking in November, Wrexham CEO Michael Williamson said: "January windows are always challenging just because you don't know what the market is going to be.

"You don't know what other clubs are looking at where sometimes it has to do with loans as well. It's more of an opportunistic market.

"You look at your areas within the squad that you could use some additional support, whether it's because of injuries or if it's because of depth and you realise you might want an added piece to the squad. Then it's about whether or not that added piece is available or not."

Meanwhile, Parkinson recently shed light on how involved the club's owners plan to be during the winter window, stating they intend to personally reach out to all new signings once their arrival is confirmed.

Speaking to The Athletic, he said: "Rob and Ryan are real successful in their own right, but they both want to talk to the new lads as a chairman and owner about Wrexham Football Club.

"As people, they also want to talk about what the club is all about. I think it's fantastic they do that. Even though both of them are on the other side of the Atlantic, they keep in touch with the lads."