Opinion Winners and losers from a Ryan Hardie transfer to Wrexham as Plymouth Argyle poised to lose 12-goal star.
Wrexham are expected to make Plymouth Argyle’s Ryan Hardie their first permanent summer signing ahead of the 2025/26 Championship season.
As the summer transfer window approaches its reopening, the Wrexham faithful will be anticipating the arrival of new recruits to the club. Wrexham achieved history last season with consecutive promotions, and they are now aiming for an immediate return to the top division in the 2025/26 Championship. The Red Dragons have been linked with many targets, including Wrexham’s pursuit of Blackburn Rovers captain Lewis Travis. They are also interested in “exceptional” Joe Gelhardt from Leeds United. Wrexham are also preparing to finalise the acquisition of Plymouth Argyle forward Ryan Hardie this summer. EFL Analysis has looked at the potential winners and losers in the upcoming transfer.
Winners from a Ryan Hardie transfer to Wrexham from Plymouth Argyle
Phil Parkinson
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson is the clear winner of Hardie’s planned move from Home Park to the Stok Racecourse ground. Parkinson has been at the forefront of Wrexham’s incredible rise, but the step up in quality in the Championship will be his most difficult challenge yet in the Red Dragons dugout, made easier by Hardie’s arrival. Adding a forward of Hardie’s calibre to the Wrexham squad can only help Parkinson reach co-owner Ryan Reynolds’ aim of Premier League promotion.
Ryan Hardie
Aside from Parkinson, another clear winner must be the player himself, considering Plymouth’s relegation to League One this season. Hardie excelled for Argyle, scoring 12 goals last season, but he couldn’t help Plymouth avoid relegation to the third tier of English football. The Wrexham deal will give the Scottish striker another season in the Championship, where Hardie aims to add to his 22 second-tier goals.
Sam Smith
One EFL expert feels Wrexham will make a “very smart” signing in Hardie, and Ali Maxwell has also stated that the forward’s arrival will boost current Wrexham striker Sam Smith. Maxwell told DragonSports: “It appears Ryan Hardie is on his way to Wrexham, and here’s why I believe he is an excellent addition to Phil Parkinson’s squad.
| Statistic | Ryan Hardie 24/25 | Sam Smith 24/25 at Wrexham |
| Games | 40 | 19 |
| Goals | 12 | 7 |
| Assists | 3 | 0 |
“As a counter-attacking striker, he’s an extremely good player at this level. And I believe he will compliment either Sam Smith or another striker, a more physical target man, very well.” Smith has seven goals in 19 appearances for Wrexham since his £2 million move from Reading, and he will be thrilled with Hardie’s arrival since it gives him a teammate to link up with in attack.
Two losers from a Ryan Hardie transfer to Wrexham
Plymouth Argyle
The apparent losers from Hardie’s impending transfer are Plymouth, as the Scotsman concludes his five-year connection with Argyle. Hardie joined on loan from Blackpool in January 2020, scoring seven goals in 13 League Two games to assist Argyle reach the third division, before making the move permanent the following summer. Hardie has 74 goals and 23 assists in 248 games for Plymouth, and he has played an important role in the club’s progress from League Two to the Championship. The club, its supporters, and newly recruited manager Tom Cleverley will all miss him next season.
Tom Cleverley
Cleverley was selected as Miron Muslic’s replacement this week, and he will begin his next chapter in management at Home Park on 25/26. Muslic was expected to return Plymouth to the Championship, however he has since left Argyle for Germany, prompting the Argyle chairman to criticise Muslic’s conduct following his move to FC Schalke. Hardie’s impending departure coincides with Cleverley’s appointment, so the former Watford manager will miss out on using the forward in his debut season in charge of Argyle. Given that Hardie was Argyle’s leading striker last season with 12 goals, his absence will be a significant loss for Cleverley as he seeks promotion from League One in his first year as Plymouth manager.
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