Why Wrexham's double deadline-week swoop signals serious Championship ambition

Wrexham are no longer treating their first Championship season as a period of adjustment—they are actively strengthening for it.

The club have confirmed permanent signings of right-back Issa Kabore from Manchester City and centre-back Jacques Ekomie from French side Angers, adding two experienced defenders in the same week as the transfer deadline approaches.

Both deals reflect a deliberate strategy: bringing in players with senior European experience rather than continuing to rely solely on lower-league recruitment, a notable shift for a club still adjusting to life outside League One.

Issa Kabore returns on a permanent deal

Kabore spent last season on loan at Wrexham from Manchester City, making 32 appearances in all competitions under Phil Parkinson. That loan spell has now been converted into a permanent transfer worth up to £4.75 million, according to BBC Sport's report on the deal, with City retaining a 20% sell-on clause and matching rights on any future sale.

The move ends a nomadic six-year spell for the 25-year-old Burkina Faso international, who joined City from Belgian club KV Mechelen in 2020 but never made a senior appearance for the Premier League club across seven separate loan spells. Kabore has signed a three-year contract at the Racecourse Ground, giving Wrexham long-term certainty at right-back after a season in which his form justified the permanent move.

Jacques Ekomie adds Ligue 1 experience

Wrexham's second signing brings a different profile entirely. Ekomie, a 23-year-old Gabon international centre-back, arrives after making 32 Ligue 1 appearances for Angers last season. He has signed a four-year deal, running through 2030, for a fee reported to be worth around £8 million to the French club.

Speaking after his move was confirmed, Ekomie described the switch as a significant career step. "It is a very big and interesting project for me—I'm here to progress, and I'm very happy to be here," he said. "I want to achieve great things at Wrexham."

Notably, Ekomie had also attracted interest from West Ham United and German club Hamburg before choosing Wrexham, according to BBC Sport, underlining the growing credibility of the club's project since promotion.

What both signings say about Wrexham's project

Taken together, the two deals represent Wrexham's fifth incoming signing of the transfer window and their most significant financial outlay to date on permanent transfers. Bringing in a Ligue 1 regular and converting a Premier League loanee into a permanent squad member suggests the club is targeting players with a proven level above League One, rather than simply adding depth.

That approach also addresses specific needs. Ekomie provides competition and cover at centre-back, where left-back convert Liberato Cacace has been troubled by injuries, while Kabore's arrival locks down right-back for the medium term rather than leaving Parkinson to negotiate a new loan every summer.

Can Wrexham build on this momentum?

Two permanent defensive signings will not guarantee Championship survival, but they suggest a club moving beyond the feel-good story of its rapid rise and into serious squad-building for a tougher level of competition. With the transfer deadline approaching on 1 September, further additions remain possible, and Wrexham's business this week indicates they are not planning to stand still.

For a club that has enjoyed rapid promotions in recent seasons, converting ambition into results at Championship level will be the real test. Recruiting proven performers like Kabore and Ekomie gives Parkinson's side a stronger platform than many pundits expected heading into the campaign.