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Wrexham have signed Empoli defender Liberato Cacace in what could be their most expensive signing since the 2021 takeover of the club by co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

The 24-year-old had a year left on his contract at Empoli, who were relegated from Serie A last season, and he has signed a three-year deal at Wrexham.

Wrexham broke the £1m barrier for the first time last season when they landed Reading striker Sam Smith in January.

The fee for Cacace has not been disclosed, but Wrexham were understood to be prepared to push beyond the Smith fee to land the defender, who has 33 caps for New Zealand, as they prepare for their a campaign in the Championshi
Cacace said he was "absolutely delighted" commit to Wrexham.

He added: "Looking from the outside, what they are creating here is something I want to be part of. The family they have here – it's a tight-knit club and that enticed me.

"I had a great phone call with the manager, and after that I really wanted to sign."

Boss Phil Parkinson said: "We are delighted to welcome Libby to Wrexham and look forward to integrating him with the squad on our return home."

Cacace is Wrexham's third signing of this summer following three successive promotions.

Parkinson's side have also added Wales goalkeeper Danny Ward and former Plymouth Argyle forward Ryan Hardie as they embark on a first season in England's second tier for 43 years.

Wrexham are in New Zealand to play Wellington Phoenix, Cacace's first club, in a pre-season friendly on Saturday (06:00 BST).

Cacace, who was born in Wellington to an Italian father and a New Zealand mother of Italian descent, is primarily a left-back but can also operate further forward.

He played 93 games for Empoli since heading to Italian football in 2022, but had been linked with a move away following the club's relegation from Serie A.

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Wrexham have signed midfielder Lewis O'Brien from Nottingham Forest for an undisclosed fee on a deal that runs until the end of the 2027-28 season.

The 26-year-old was linked with a number of Championship clubs this summer after an impressive loan spell at Swansea City in the second half of last season.

Swansea had been keen to re-sign O'Brien, though their hopes always looked a little slim because of the finances involved in a potential deal.

Instead it is Wrexham who have won the race for the former Huddersfield Town player.

"It's been a long time coming, but to be here is great," O'Brien said.

"The last couple of years has been a whirlwind for me and my family, but to sign a long-term contract and find somewhere I can call home is a great feeling.

"After speaking to everyone here, it's a club with a lot of ambition. I want to be part of that journey and take Wrexham to where they want to be."
O'Brien had a year to run on his Forest contract and he leaves the City Ground having made only 17 appearances since joining them following their promotion to the Premier League in 2022.

He played 16 times for Swansea after joining on loan in the mid-season window, and played a key role as they pulled clear of relegation danger to finish 11th.

O'Brien also had loan spells at Los Angeles FC, Middlesbrough and DC United after falling out of favour at Forest.

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said: "I'm delighted to welcome Lewis to the club. He's a player with a lot of experience at this level and will be a great addition to the group. We're looking forward to working with him."

O'Brien's signing is another statement of intent by Wrexham, who are owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, as they prepare for life in the Championship after three successive promotions.

The north Wales club have already brought in goalkeeper Danny Ward from Leicester City, forward Ryan Hardie from Plymouth Argyle, left-back Liberato Cacace for a club-record fee from Empoli, midfielder George Thomason from Bolton Wanderers and forward Josh Windass, who was a free agent after leaving financially troubled Sheffield Wednesday.

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Wrexham have signed centre-back Conor Coady from Championship rivals Leicester City for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around £2m.

The 32-year-old England defender has signed a two-year contract, with the option of an additional year.

Signing Coady is another major statement of intent from Wrexham, who are preparing for their first season back in the second tier for 43 years.

They have already broken their club transfer record twice this summer, first for Empoli left-back Liberato Cacace and then Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O'Brien.

Wrexham are likely to smash it again as they are in talks over an ambitious £7.5m move for Wales and Ipswich Town forward Nathan Broadhead.

They also hope to complete the signing of another Wales international, striker Kieffer Moore, from Sheffield United.

"I'm over the moon. It's a special day, I'll be honest," said Coady.

"We've all seen what the club has done over the past few years and for me to join is really special and I can't wait to meet the boys and get started."

Coady has made 198 Premier League appearances and captained the Wolves team who twice finished seventh and reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

He also has 10 caps for England and was part of their squad for Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup.

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said: "We're delighted to welcome Conor to the club. He's a player who has experience in the Premier League and Championship and will be a great addition to the squad."

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Wrexham have signed Wales international Nathan Broadhead from Ipswich Town on a deal which could eventually be worth £10m.

The versatile forward, 27, who was in the final year of his contract at Portman Road, has signed a four-year deal with the Dragons.

"It's been a long time coming and I'm delighted to join the club," Broadhead said.

"Belief is going to be the biggest thing for us this season. We want to get everyone from North Wales down to the Stok Cae Ras and to show that belief in us."

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said: "I'm delighted to welcome Nathan to the club. We're all looking forward to working with him in the coming seasons."

While the initial fee is likely to be some way short of the reported £10m figure, Broadhead's arrival will have shattered Wrexham's transfer record.

They have broken their transfer record on numerous occasions since Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took control of the club in 2021.

The previous high mark was believed to be in excess of £3m, which Wrexham paid to sign midfielder Lewis O'Brien from Nottingham Forest last month.

Former Everton youngster Broadhead is Wrexham's ninth signing since they were promoted from League One last season.

He follows in the footsteps of fellow Wales internationals Danny Ward and Kieffer Moore in making the switch to the Stok Cae Ras.

Forwards Josh Windass and Ryan Hardie, defenders Conor Coady and Liberato Cacace and midfielders George Thomason and O'Brien have also moved to the north Wales side this summer.

Bangor-born Broadhead - who was in Wrexham's academy as a boy as well as Bangor City - started his professional career with Everton but joined Ipswich permanently in 2023 following loan spells with Burton Albion, Sunderland and Wigan Athletic.

He made two first-team appearances for the Toffees but swiftly became a prominent figure at Ipswich, helping them secure successive promotions from League One to the Premier League.

Broadhead scored two goals in 18 top-flight appearances under Kieran McKenna last season.

He has netted twice in 14 senior outings for Wales, with his first goal coming on debut against Croatia in 2023.

Wrexham have also been linked with moves for Liverpool's Wales international Lewis Koumas and Ajax's central midfielder Sivert Mannsverk, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Cardiff City.