Чехийн шигшээ багийн тоглогч Уэльсийн жижиг хотын хэмжээ болон багийн байр суурь нь өөрт нь тохирохгүй гэж үзжээ.
Лионы довтлох чиглэлийн хагас хамгаалагч Павел Сулц зуны солилцооны цонхоор Рексхэмд нэгдэх боломжтой байсан ч уг саналыг хүлээн авахаас татгалзжээ. Уэльсийн баг түүний төлөө 35 сая фунт стерлингийн санал тавьсан нь тус клубийн түүхэн дэх хамгийн өндөр үнийн дүн болох боломжтой байв. Гэвч 25 настай тоглогч өөрийн хүсэлтээр Лионд үлдэж, энэ улиралд 7 тоглолтод оролцохдоо 3 оновчтой дамжуулалт өгөөд байна.
Сулц Рексхэмийн саналыг орхисон шалтгаанаа тайлбарлахдаа тус хотын хүн ам цөөн, жижигхэн байгаа нь өөрт нь нөлөөлсөн гэдгийг онцолжээ. Тэрээр Рексхэмийг сонирхолтой түүхтэй, Холливудын нөлөө бүхий эзэдтэй клуб гэж үнэлсэн ч Английн Чемпионшип лигт тоглох хүсэлгүй байснаа илэрхийлэв.
Түүнчлэн Италийн Ювентус клуб түүнийг сонирхож байсан ч санхүүгийн нөхцөл нь тохироогүй тул наймаа бодитой болоогүй байна. Лион одоогоор Лиг 1-ийн хүснэгтийн хоёрдугаар байрт бичигдэж байгаа бол Рексхэм Английн хоёр дахь шатлалын лигт 14-р байрт эрэмбэлэгдээд байна.
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Pavel Sulc has explained that he turned down a summer transfer to Wrexham because of the city’s small size.
The Lyon attacking midfielder was linked with the Welsh side in what looked set to have been a club-record deal worth around £35million.
Anthony Patterson, who arrived from Sunderland in August, is Wrexham’s record arrival after he signed a deal that will reportedly cost £10m in total should clauses be met.
Czech Republic international Sulc would therefore have smashed that figure with his £35m move to the Championship.
However, he has stayed put at Lyon for this season and now explained why a switch to Wrexham didn’t appeal to him.
Why Pavel Sulc turned down Wrexham
“I asked the managers if I could only receive really serious things, not hypotheses or gossip,” he said on speculation over a Lyon exit in an interview with Seznam Zpravy.
“Lyon also played a crucial role in this, as they had to consider the amount of the offer.
“None seemed high enough to sell me. Wrexham offered the most.”
Sulc then pointed to the impact of Wrexham’s Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who completed a takeover in 2021 and have overseen three promotions from the National League.
Another part of the 25-year-old’s reasoning was the size of Wrexham itself, which is said to have had a population of around 45,000 in its built-up area as of 2021.
“Honestly? Wrexham is a cult club with a Hollywood fairytale story,” Sulc said on the club’s offer.
“But I didn’t feel like going to the Championship or a small town in Wales. I hope that doesn’t sound too condescending.”
What other clubs were linked with Sulc?
Amid their financial struggles, that led to an initial demotion from Ligue 1 to Ligue 2, it wouldn’t have been a surprise to see Lyon sell Sulc during the summer.
Serie A giants Juventus and Premier League outfit Leeds United also had reported interest, but nothing materialised.
“When Juventus called, I was a bit dreamy,” Sulc said. “Great club, fantastic history, beautiful stadium, Italy, big Czech footprint.
“That’s something that my girlfriend Natali and I would definitely like a lot. If the clubs agreed, I certainly wouldn’t be against it.
“But the offer wasn’t high enough, so it was over. I was still focused on Lyon the whole time, to be as valuable as possible.”
Sulc has assisted three goals in seven appearances for Lyon, who are second in Ligue 1, so far this season.
Meanwhile, Wrexham sit 14th in the second tier of England and have just two wins from eight.
Despite beating Southampton 2-1 ahead of the international break, they were thumped 6-0 by West Ham United in their heaviest defeat under the current ownership.
