Wrexham launch £7m bid for ex-Sunderland striker Nathan Broadhead – but Ipswich refuse to sell

Former Sunderland loanee Nathan Broadhead is the subject of a bold transfer bid from League One side Wrexham, with Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph revealing that the ambitious Welsh club have tabled an offer worth £7million for the Wales international.

Broadhead, 27, is currently under contract with Ipswich Town, who are understood to have no intention of selling despite relegation from the Premier League at the end of the 2024–25 season. Wrexham’s offer, which would represent a club-record fee, has been swiftly rebuffed by Town.

Broadhead’s situation is now being monitored closely, with the forward having been a key figure in Ipswich’s rise from League One to the Premier League. He finished the 2023–24 campaign as joint top scorer with 13 league goals, helping the club return to the top flight for the first time since 2002. However, after a challenging season in the Premier League – in which he managed just two goals in 18 appearances – speculation over his future has resurfaced.

Sunderland fans will remember Broadhead well from his loan spell during the 2021–22 season, where he struck up an effective partnership with Ross Stewart and scored 10 goals in 20 league appearances as the Black Cats pushed for promotion.

The club made a serious effort to re-sign him the following summer, with a deal close to completion before Wigan Athletic hijacked the move and secured him on loan. Broadhead managed five goals in 22 Championship appearances during a difficult season at the DW Stadium, before being recalled by Everton in January 2023.

That same month, he joined Ipswich Town in a £1.5million permanent deal, ending a 15-year association with Everton that began when he joined the club as a 10-year-old from Wrexham. The Welsh club’s bid has now added a fascinating twist to Broadhead’s journey. The forward hails from Bangor in North Wales and came through Wrexham’s youth system before joining Everton – a connection that makes this proposed move particularly emotional for some fans.

It’s also a statement of intent from the Hollywood-backed club, who are aiming to climb into the Championship under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. While Ipswich have no plans to sell at this stage, they may yet face pressure if Broadhead pushes for a move or if further bids arrive from elsewhere.

The Wales international has 14 senior caps and scored a dramatic late equaliser in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Croatia, underlining his value both domestically and internationally. Broadhead remains under contract at Portman Road and is expected to be part of the squad that begins life back in the Championship next month – unless Wrexham, or another suitor, can change Ipswich’s mind.

What other Sunderland transfer news is there?

Shortly before kick-off at the MKM Stadium, fresh reports emerged linking Sunderland with a move for Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Amine Adli. According to ESPN’s Julien Laurens, the Black Cats are ready to rival Wolves for the Morocco international, who is valued at around £23million.

The update came as Sunderland edged closer to sealing a deal for Granit Xhaka from Bayer, with the midfielder expected to join from the Bundesliga champions for an initial fee of £13million, potentially rising to £17million with add-ons. The midfielder is expected to conclude the move in the coming days.

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Adli, who can play across the front line but has often featured off the left, is seen as a potential solution in a position Sunderland are actively looking to strengthen following Romaine Mundle’s hamstring injury and the collapse of a move for Armand Laurienté.

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