There is just one week left in the summer transfer window, and Wrexham are in need of some firepower in attack. The Red Dragons failed to take the plethora of chances that came their way against Cardiff City, before failing to create enough opportunities as they were held to another draw by Watford.
Manager Phil Parkinson has already insisted there is enough firepower in the squad; it just needs to be unlocked. Chief executive Michael Williamson has also hinted that the problem is creativity and making the most of the attacking options already at their disposal.
The good news is that Wrexham are set to be boosted this week by the return of an attacking talisman who has scored seven goals in his last eight appearances.
The bad news? He hasn’t played since the start of May.
Why Josh Windass Is So Important For Wrexham
Josh Windass had an intriguing first season in North Wales, which ended with him being named the club’s Player of the Year and top scorer across all competitions. The former Sheffield Wednesday man scored Wrexham’s first Championship goal in 43 years and seven of their 13 goals during the final weeks of the season as they narrowly missed out on the playoffs.
The 32-year-old’s last meaningful touch came when he blazed an effort over the bar in the dying seconds of Wrexham’s 2-2 draw with Middlesbrough on the final day of last season. Had that gone in, Wrexham would have leapfrogged Hull City and finished sixth in the Championship table. Instead, it was the Tigers who went on to secure promotion to the Premier League and defeat Manchester United at the weekend.
Those are the fine margins that come to define matches, seasons and players. They are the same fine margins that haven’t quite fallen Wrexham’s way during the opening three matches of the new EFL season—and the same margins Windass had a habit of turning in their favor during his remarkable purple patch.
Parkinson lifted spirits after the recent draw with Watford when he insisted Windass will “definitely” be back from injury on Friday night and in the squad to face Birmingham City. Windass was surprisingly dropped for the 2-0 defeat to Birmingham back in April, when a lack of creativity saw the Red Dragons manage just four shots during the entire match, none of which were on target.
Josh Windass 2025–26 Championship Stats
|
Statistic |
Value |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
41 |
|
Starts |
28 |
|
FotMob rating |
7.00 |
|
Goals |
16 |
|
Assists |
5 |
|
Chances created |
38 |
|
Big chances created |
10 |
|
Shot accuracy |
39% |
|
Passing accuracy |
81.7% |
|
Goals per 90 |
0.60 (4th in Championship) |
|
Goals + assists per 90 |
0.79 (4th in Championship) |
|
Direct goal involvements |
21 (3rd in Championship) |
The Fitness Risk
If he were fit, there is no doubt Windass would be in the starting lineup on Friday night. The issue for Wrexham is that he hasn’t played since early May and missed their entire preseason schedule.
“He’s had a block [of training] in the middle [of preseason] where he was back involved, and then his calf wasn’t quite where we wanted it to be. But he’s had blocks of training, so it’s not like we are starting completely from a low base with him,” Parkinson tells Sports Illustrated last week.
“I won’t be risking him; there’s no need to. Josh, with the goals he got last year, is an important player for the club and he will be ready soon. We’ll make sure that we expose him to the right amount of minutes at the right time. He’s got a very big season ahead of him, I am sure of that.”
Windass ranked fourth in the Championship for goals last season and was also fourth for goal involvements per 90 minutes. Most impressively, he ranked third for total goal involvements across the entire campaign, trailing only two strikers: Swansea City star Zan Vipotnik and Hull City hero Oli McBurnie.
This season, the Red Dragons already rank fourth in the Championship for big chances missed and sit 12th when it comes to shots on target. Windass is the talisman who could make a difference, but Wrexham can’t afford to rush him back or demand too much from him after he missed so much of the summer with an injury.
Only five teams scored more goals than Wrexham last season, while only five conceded more. The early signs suggest they have managed to improve their leaky backline, with only five teams conceding fewer goals than them across their opening two matches. However, only three teams have scored fewer.
That makes it even more important for Wrexham to find a way to add more goals to their game and make the most of the chances they create.
Even with a week remaining in the transfer window, it will be difficult to find anyone who can replicate what Windass brings to this Wrexham side.
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