"Proved a lot of people wrong" - Wrexham AFC urged to take clear Ollie Palmer action | OneFootball

We asked our Wrexham fan pundit whether Ollie Palmer deserves a new contract with his deal set to expire in the summer

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Wrexham have been told to extend Ollie Palmer's contract, with the 32-year-old set to leave The Racecourse on a free transfer this summer when his existing deal expires.

Palmer joined Wrexham in January 2022 as a National League side, and while they weren't quite able to win promotion that season, losing in the play-off semi-final, he's played a key role in them winning two consecutive promotions and their bright start to the League One campaign.

His time at The Racecourse has proved hugely successful, and despite the huge gulf in quality between the National League and League One, Palmer has continued to be one of the first names on Phil Parkinson's teamsheet, starting nine of their ten league fixtures this season.

So far, Palmer has scored 41 goals in 129 appearances for Wrexham, including two in League One this season, but as it stands, he's set to leave on a free transfer in the summer.

The 32-year-old certainly isn't a youngster anymore, but the Red Dragons' hierarchy have been told to reward him with a new deal following his performances so far this season.

Wrexham told to reward Ollie Palmer with a new contract

We asked our Wrexham fan pundit, Liam Grice, whether Palmer should be offered a new deal, and he was adamant that the striker has done enough to extend his stay in North Wales by at least another season.

Speaking to Football League World, Liam said: "As much as I think we’re now getting to the stage as a club where we need to be a little bit more ruthless with the players we’ve signed in previous years and not be too emotional when it comes to offering new contracts, Ollie Palmer has proved a lot of people wrong this season, including myself.

“If you’d have asked me this question at the start of the season I probably would have said let his contract run out and part ways with him, but the way he’s performed this season he’s really upped his levels.

“I think that he deserves maybe another year on his contract because, for what he’s put in this season, he deserves nothing less than another shot in League One for sure.”

Ollie Palmer has been an incredible signing for Wrexham

It's fair to say that eyebrows were raised in January 2022 when Palmer swapped League One side AFC Wimbledon for Wrexham, but it's clear that it's a move that has paid off in the long run.

Palmer was prolific in the National League, perhaps as you'd expect after dropping two divisions, and his signing made a real difference to Wrexham's promotion push during the second half of the 2021/22 season, and his 16 goals the following season helped the club win the title.

You only have to watch Welcome to Wrexham to see that Palmer is a popular figure around The Racecourse, and he's well thought of by owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, which surely won't do his chances of earning a new deal any harm.

He endured a bit of a tough 2023/24 campaign, only scoring seven league goals, but he seems back to his best this season, and the fact he's started nine of Wrexham's ten league games despite some of the quality attacking options the club have goes some way to showing that.

It remains to be seen what division Wrexham will be in next season after making a bright start to life in League One, but giving Palmer a contract extension seems like a smart move after his showings for the club over the past couple of seasons.