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RYAN REYNOLDS AND ROB MCELHENNEY HAVE PUMPED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF CASH INTO THE CLUB SINCE TAKING OVER IN 2020 ALEX RIDOUT 12:51, 03 Jun 2025 USA legend Landon Donovan has questioned

Wrexham’s rise through the English leagues, disputing the "miracle" tag applied to the north Wales club. After three promotions in a row, the story of the Red Dragons has been

spread across the footballing world, however criticism has come their way due to the amount of spending that took place while they were in the lower divisions. From non-league to the

Championship in three seasons, Wrexham Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have been significantly praised for bringing the north Wales side back from the brink of collapse,

taking the club to places not seen by fans for years. However, Donovan doesn’t seem to agree with Wrexham’s story being labelled a Hollywood miracle. The former LA Galaxy man spoke to

ex-Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard, where he gave his honest opinion on Wrexham’s journey. On the 'Unfiltered Soccer' podcast he said: “If you watch the show [Welcome to Wrexham],

you think it’s some miracle, but it’s not a miracle. Article continues below "It’s an amazing story, but they have also spent at the top of every one of the leagues they’ve been in.”

The Hollywood pair bought the club in 2020. The club recorded a record-breaking £10million in revenue when they were in the National League, surpassing all the teams in League Two and most

in League One at the time. For the 24/25 season, the club has increased its revenue to a staggering £26.7million, reports the Daily Star. During their time in League Two they spent £200k

more than anyone else in the division, according to Transfermarkt. They also spent £2million to bring Sam Smith to the club during their time in League One, surpassing the club's

previous transfer record. In total, they spent around £4.2million on transfer fees during the season. The success of Wrexham has also been compared to fellow Championship side Birmingham

City and their minority owner Tom Brady, with both clubs having well-known celebrities as part of their ownership set-up. While they were both in League One, they heavily contributed to the

highest transfer fees spent in a season in the third tier, especially with the Blues signing Jay Stansfield for a record deal of £15million upfront, which could rise up to £20million. Phil

Parkinson’s side were only the third highest spenders that season however, with Birmingham and Huddersfield Town both spending more. Donovan believes that the amount of money spent by the

Wrexham owners has limited how much of a ‘miracle’ their rise to the Championship has been. The American, who has 157 caps for his country, has questioned if Wrexham can maintain their

success in the second division. “The question now is whether they can do it in the Championship," he added. "My first thought was no, but I did see a report last week that they

were willing to offer a player £50,000 a week. “They clearly have the money to do it, but are they going to take the risk? It’s a big risk now, and you could lose £30million or £40million

and not get promoted. It’s going to be interesting to watch." Unlike Donavan, who spent two loan spells at Everton during his career, his ex-team-mate Howard has more belief in the

Wrexham project but acknowledges the challenges they may face. Article continues below Howard said: “Hey, say the hardest jump in all of the promotions is from the Championship to the

Premier League, because there is just more money in that league. “Money makes the world go round when it comes to football or sports, and they [Wrexham] are pumping a tonne of money into

that team. "They’re just better and if they continue to do that, I think they could possibly do it [be promoted].”