Wrexham are closing in on a deal for Crystal Palace full-back Danny Imray as they step up their pursuit of promotion to the Premier League.
A £5m fee is the figure that is being touted for Imray, who enjoyed a successful loan in the Championship last season with West Bromwich Albion.
However, the Baggies, alongside second-tier rivals Stoke City, are set to lose out to the Red Dragons.
The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath reported that a move to North Wales was close for the right-back, who celebrated his 23rd birthday yesterday.
Born in East London, Imray’s rise to prominence came following an explosive year in Chelmsford City’s youth setup. By 2021, he had secured a top-flight move to Crystal Palace, though he returned on loan to his former employers less than 12 months later. That began the natural progression of temporary moves up the pyramid, stepping up two divisions from the National League South to League Two with Bromley.
Following a full season with the Ravens in 24/25, making 39 league appearances, Imray was entrusted to make another leap into League One. This time, he lasted only half a campaign in that division with Blackpool, returning to Selhurst Park for a fortnight before moving up again to the West Midlands. It was in the second half of last season with West Brom that he really showed his talent at this level, appearing on 17 occasions for the Baggies.
Speaking live on talkSPORT, Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson confirmed his side’s interest in the Palace man.
“Danny’s [Imray] a player we’ve been looking at very closely. It’s not done yet, but hopefully it will be. We know the gaps we feel we have in the squad, and we’re trying everything we can to fill them. People might wonder why it’s taken so long, but sometimes it does for various reasons.
“One reason is a few of the players we’ve looked at have been at Premier League clubs who’ve had players away on World Cup duty, and they’ve then wanted younger players to be in and around their squads at the start of pre-season.
“Some deals take longer than others, people moving into the area, and it took us a while to find our feet in the division and also, I had players adapting to that.”
West Bromwich Albion Searching For Alternative Targets
While this will be a big blow for the Baggies, given his showings at The Hawthorns last season, they aren’t wasting any time in moving on to other players. Albion have already lined up a replacement for Imray. According to transfer news specialist Sacha Tavolieri, French right back Nolan Galves appears to be heading to the West Midlands after Rodez and West Brom reached an agreement.
The 23-year-old has been plying his trade in Ligue 2 and is believed to be the first French defender from that division to directly move to the same level in English football this century. A four-year deal has been agreed between the two sides, as the disappointment of missing out on Imray to Wrexham has quickly been forgotten.
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