Ryan Reynolds plots record transfer deal for Notts County striker they told to ‘f*** off’

Wrexham are plotting a club record move for Notts County striker Macauley Langstaff this summer, according to reports.

The 27-year-old was the Red Dragons' nemesis last season as they battled with County for the National League title. While Phil Parkinson's side were ultimately crowned champions, the Magpies finished just four points behind them in second place, with Langstaff's remarkable tally of 42 goals seeing him outscore Paul Mullin and set a new league record.

Having followed Wrexham up into League Two, the striker has continued his prolific goalscoring form, netting 28 goals in 45 games so far this season. However, while Parkinson's side will play League One football next season after securing back-to-back promotions, County are set for a mid-table finish.

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Despite his pantomime villain status at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham and co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are long-term admirers of Langstaff and have previously been linked with a move for the former Gateshead and York City man. But with a campaign in the third tier ahead of them, they are said to be stepping up their approach for the striker this summer.

Wrexham Insider reports that the Red Dragons are interested in signing Langstaff during the summer transfer window, with Parkinson admitting the club need to get their recruitment right ahead of the new season. However, they face competition from Peterborough United and Bolton Wanderers, who are both currently chasing promotion to the Championship.

Additionally, Langstaff still has three years remaining on his Notts County contract, meaning he will not come cheap. The publication claims it will take a club-record move - beating the £300,000 they spent on Ollie Palmer in 2022 - to lure him away from Meadow Lane this summer.

If they do land the striker, Reynolds and McElhenney may have to make a few apologies after the latter told Langstaff to "f*** off" last season. McElhenney made the tongue-in-cheek remark as the pair reflected on the club's rivalry with Notts County during the first series of their documentary Welcome to Wrexham, with the marksman proving a constant thorn in their side.

"Macaulay Langstaff, he can f*** off," said the Always Sunny... actor, before Reynolds added: "Yeah, god that guy is good. He's handsome as f***. He looks like he could be in Peaky Blinders."

Of course, the comments were made in jest and Langstaff said it was "surreal" but "all good fun" when asked for his response in a later interview with FourFourTwo magazine. However, he perhaps unsurprisingly focused on Reynolds' comments over those of his co-owner.

"Listen, I’ll take that all day from Ryan Reynolds, and if Peaky Blinders are up for giving me a role, I wouldn’t say no," he said. "Obviously it was surreal having people like Ryan and Rob mentioning me. It was funny, and so many people were messaging me about what they’d said when the show aired. It was good fun."