Ryan Reynolds given 'Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Wrexham' transfer idea which defies belief

Wrexham's Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have been urged to pull off a sensational coup by luring Zlatan Ibrahimovic out of retirement. Since their takeover in 2021, the duo have not hesitated to invest heavily in the Welsh club.

However, the prospect of persuading the four-time Champions League winner to lace up his boots again might be a herculean task for the A-list pair. Ibrahimovic, who boasts an impressive career with stints at Manchester United, Barcelona, and Inter Milan, hung up his boots in June 2023 after netting over 570 goals across his club and international career. He now serves as a senior adviser to AC Milan.

Despite this, former Premier League striker Matt Jansen, who had a stint at Wrexham in 2009, is convinced that the club's financial muscle could tempt the 43-year-old Swedish icon to reconsider his retirement. Jansen, who also played for Blackburn, suggested that Chris Woods, currently scoring for Nottingham Forest, would be a good match for Phil Parkinson's side.

"It would probably suit Zlatan Ibrahimovic, although he retired," Jansen told FruityKing. "But money talks and they've certainly got it. It would be Hollywood and he'd enjoy it, wouldn't he?".

"But it would certainly be that type, or a big target man like Chris Wood maybe, although he's not going to leave Nottingham Forest. It would all depend on whether they could get the signings that they would need to challenge and whether those players would suit."

Wrexham splashed over £2million on new strikers in the January transfer window, securing Sam Smith from Reading and Jay Rodriguez from Burnley. The pair have already bagged seven goals between them in League One, pushing Wrexham tantalisingly close to a remarkable third successive promotion to the Championship.

Meanwhile, Birmingham City, with NFL superstar Tom Brady as co-owner, are almost certain to snatch the top spot in the third tier. Wrexham sit in second place, holding a six-point cushion over Wycombe Wanderers in third.

Discussing the prospects of both teams stepping up to the Premier League, Jansen said that Birmingham would be better prepared for the leap.

He said: "Anything's possible with Wrexham and they've got the backing. With the media around them, they've got the idea of what they want to do. I think back-to-back would be too soon. They will probably try to consolidate first and build on that with more signings, spending more money.

"Look at the three coming down, the Premier League is tougher now for teams going up. But then Nottingham Forest have done it. I thought they'd struggle this season, but they're looking like they should get Champions League football.

"You can never say never, but it will be a real big ask. If I was going to choose anybody to go back-to-back, it would be Birmingham. I think they're a Championship side right now and if they spend wisely, they'll be stronger."