Wrexham sign Joe Worrall from Burnley, a day after Conor Coady left

Wrexham have signed the defender Joe Worrall from Burnley for an undisclosed fee, subject to international clearance and registrations. The 29-year-old has signed a two-year contract with an option for a further year, and becomes Phil Parkinson's sixth summer signing.

He arrives a day after Conor Coady went the other way. Wrexham confirmed on Sunday that Coady had left by mutual termination of his contract, a year after signing from Leicester City and after six appearances for the club, with January spent on loan at Charlton Athletic. One experienced centre half out, another in, inside 21 hours.

The need is not hard to see. Wrexham are 20th in the Championship with two points from three games, drawn two and lost one, and have conceded four goals. Worrall has been promoted out of this division twice, with Nottingham Forest in 2022 and with Burnley last season, and Parkinson's stated reason for signing him leans on exactly that. "He's an experienced centre half, with good leadership qualities, who's been part of promotions out of this division," the manager said.

Worrall made 27 appearances in all competitions for Burnley after joining in the summer of 2024. Before that he was a Forest player from boyhood, named in the Championship Team of the Season in the promotion year and captain for the club's first season back in the top flight, with loan spells at Dagenham and Redbridge, Rangers and Besiktas, where he won the Turkish Cup in 2024.

"I'm here to win football matches and achieve something special," Worrall said. "Everything that Wrexham's about, I'm going to throw myself into it head-first and give my all for this badge."

Wrexham have not said whether the registration will clear in time for him to be involved this week. The window shuts at 11pm.