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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.

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Wrexham have signed Coventry City midfielder Ben Sheaf and Blackburn Rovers defender Dom Hyam in another statement of intent from the Championship newcomers.

The Hollywood-owned Welsh club also sealed the deadline day signing of Manchester City defender Issa Kabore on a season-long loan.

It completes a summer recruitment that has seen manager Phil Parkinson add 13 players to the squad that won promotion from League One – with an outlay of close to £30m.

The north Wales club already had the highest net spend in the second tier before the final day moves, where they paid in the region of £6.5m for 27-year-old Sheaf and around £2m for Scotland international Hyam.

The 27-year-old Sheaf has signed a three-year contract at the Stok Cae Ras.

"The trajectory the club is on, I'm excited to be on board with that," said Sheaf. "From speaking to the manager, and from the ambition of the owners, it's clear it's only going one way. I'm looking forward to contributing.

"When the opportunity to move to Wrexham came up, it's something I really wanted to be able to do – I'm excited to get started now."

Defender Dominic Hyam was a double promotion winner with ex-club Coventry City

Wrexham beat the cut-off to sign Hyam on a two-year deal, having also seen offers for Bristol City's Zak Vyner rejected.

Former Reading and Coventry City centre-back Hyam, 29, was a key figure at Ewood Park, playing every minute of their Championship campaign last season.

But in his final year of his contract at Rovers, Wrexham's offer opened the door for them to add to their central defensive options that have already seen former England defender Conor Coady and ex-Manchester City youngster Callum Doyle brought in this summer.

Once-capped Hyam has been preparing for duty with Scotland ahead of their World Cup qualifiers with Denmark and Belarus, and he is expected at the Stok Cae Ras after his international commitments.

"It's really exciting for me. I'm looking forward to meeting the players and the fans and getting started," Hyam said.

"Speaking to people about Wrexham, and seeing how quickly it has gone from strength to strength, it is so attractive as a player to be a part of that.

"Seeing the success and how well they have done on the pitch, and how they have strengthened every season, just really attracted me to it. I thought it was a really exciting opportunity."


Defender Issa Kabore joined Manchester City in 2020 but has yet to make a senior appearance for the club

Sheaf became Wrexham's 11th signing of the summer, with the arrivals of Kabore and Hyam late on deadline day making it a baker's dozen of arrivals.

Burkina Faso international Kabore, 24, capped 49 times by his country, spent last season on loan at Benfica in Portugal and then German side Werder Bremen.

Kabore, who operates primarily as a right-back or right wing-back, has previously had loan spells at Marseille and Luton Town, during their 2023-24 campaign in the Premier League.

"I'm feeling good, I'm very happy to be a Wrexham player," Kabore said.

"The project here is so amazing. Wrexham is a family club, a fantastic club, and that's why I'm here. I will give everything for this team."

Sheaf played an integral role in Coventry's run to the FA Cup semi-finals in 2024 and was rated among the Championship's best midfielders as he helped them reach the play-offs last season.

But a combination of injuries, the signing of Matt Grimes from Swansea City in January and the emergence of Victor Torp saw him fall down the pecking order under Frank Lampard.

"Change is always good, the move gets me out of my comfort zone," Sheaf added.

"I've had some really good moments with Coventry and some memorable times, but it's come to a time to look for something new and something exciting."

Parkinson's side earned a historic third successive promotion last season as they finished second in League One.