"That potential" - Wrexham comparison made after A$AP Rocky, Tranmere Rovers news | OneFootball

Jobi McAnuff believes A$AP Rocky's proposed takeover of Tranmere Rovers could lead to Wrexham style success

Former EFL star Jobi McAnuff believes that Tranmere Rovers could follow in the footsteps of Wrexham if rapper A$AP Rocky completes a takeover of the League Two club.

The Red Dragons, co-owned by Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, currently occupy second place in League One, having achieved back-to-back promotions to the third tier from the National League.

Meanwhile, fellow League One outfit Birmingham City, who are partly bankrolled by NFL legend Tom Brady, sit top of the league, and look set for an immediate Championship return.

According to The Mirror, A$AP Rocky, who is singer Rihanna's boyfriend, is keen to buy Tranmere for £15m in an effort to emulate Reynolds and McElhenney's Red Dragons success.

Should the rapper complete a takeover of the Merseyside outfit, Rovers would become the third EFL side under the ownership (or investment in Brady's case) of a US-based celebrity.

The Mirror also report that if A$AP Rocky takes financial control of the Wirral club, a documentary about the club, as seen with the ownership of Wrexham, could also be commissioned, while the rapper is said to be committed to attending a game at Prenton Park.

As per the Liverpool Echo, the rapper is not alone in his interest in buying Tranmere, and could purchase the club as part of a consortium led by Donald Trump's ex-lawyer, Joe Tacopina, who has previously held stakes in Italian Serie A sides Roma and Bologna, and currently owns Serie C outfit SPAL.

McAnuff makes Wrexham comparison to A$AP Rocky talk

The ex-Reading and Watford star who co-hosts the BBC's Football Daily 72+ EFL Podcast, was recently asked by his co-host, Aaron Paul about A$AP Rocky's interest in Tranmere, following the recent takeovers of both Wrexham and Birmingham.

Paul asked: "Jobi, do you know anything more on this?

"Looking at the Wrexham story, maybe the Birmingham story, people are thinking 'this is a better investment than shelling out a billion plus on a Premier League outfit."

McAnuff said: "There are certain clubs throughout the pyramid that you do look at with the history behind them, the stadiums, just clubs that are in the doldrums a little bit, but obviously (have) that potential to really get back to a level that maybe historically they've been at before, and again it's about growth isn't it really, in terms of the commercial aspect of it.

"And I think, when you're looking at a club like Tranmere, you'd certainly say that potential is very much there.

"It's a bit of an odd sort of marriage I suppose, a pretty famous rapper from America who's got Rihanna hanging off his arm.

"But again, I think we've seen the positive impact it's had at the likes of Wrexham.

"As long as they come in, and they take into account, again, all those brilliant historical aspects of those football clubs, and keep the fans at heart, if it's investment, and it's going to push the club forward, then why not?"

Tranmere fans must be excited about A$AP Rocky takeover talk

Rovers' 1-0 defeat on home soil to Grimsby Town on Tuesday night leaves Nigel Adkins' men 18th in the League Two table after 12 games played, while the club have not made their League One return since relegation from the third tier back in 2020.

Furthermore, the Merseyside outfit have only landed a play-off spot on one occasion since dropping out of League One, as they finished 7th in 2021.

A takeover by a world renowned figure such as A$AP Rocky could see Rovers make their way back to the third tier, or even beyond, and follow in the footsteps of rivals Wrexham, whose ownership duo Reynolds and McElhenney have set the precedent for celebrity ownership in the EFL.