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Dean Saunders has floated a wildly ambitious transfer idea for Wrexham's Hollywood owners to try and land the signature of Raheem Sterling. The former Premier League striker and ex-Wrexham manager suggested that the club's rise under actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac could tempt the Chelsea star to drop down to the Championship.

The outlandish proposition comes as Sterling's club career stands at a crossroads following his dramatic fall down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge. The former Liverpool and Manchester City forward, who joined Chelsea in 2022 in a £47.5m deal, had a disappointing loan spell at Arsenal last season.

Since his return, he has been frozen out of Enzo Maresca's squad and not featured in a single competitive match. A departure from west London could therefore be a possibility in the winter transfer window.

Saunders believes a move to Wrexham, who are currently 10th in the Championship table, could be plausible given their global appeal created by the successful Welcome to Wrexham documentary. His suggestion comes despite the winger's astronomical wages of around £325,000 per year, which even the Hollywood duo would likely baulk at.

Speaking to BoyleSports, Saunders said: "Raheem Sterling to Wrexham? Why not. You might see some big players that have watched the documentary and they think, 'I'll have a bit of that. I'd love to play for them, Wrexham.'

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"You might get somebody like Raheem Sterling saying that. I can't get my head around his situation. What's going on? He's not over the hill. He's a very good player."

Despite putting forward the idea of Sterling making the switch North Wales, Saunders warned the Championship can be a tough league, even for a player who once excelled in the top flight.

He said: "The Championship's not easy to play in. I've managed in the Championship and sometimes Premier League players come down and play in it and they can't believe what's going on.

"We're playing all the time and every game's a battle. Millwall away on a Tuesday night. When the ball's up in the air all night, some of them find it difficult."

Saunders, who managed Wrexham between 2008 and 2011 when they were still in the National League, insists he always felt the club had the potential to rise through the divisions with the right investment. He praised Reynolds and Mac for giving boss Phil Parkinson the tools to succeed after splashing out £33million during the summer transfer window.

He said: "I always thought that if we could get Wrexham back in the league, I thought our team would be better than most of the League Two teams. I thought we could get to the Championship, but then you're competing with three Premier League teams who've just got relegated.

"I thought that might be the difficult bit because you have got to put your hand in your pocket then to try and compete in the Championship. And to be fair, they have. I'm hearing what some of the players are earning now.

"They've signed Josh Windass, Nathan Broadhead and Kieffer Moore. They can play at that level every day of the week and all day long and have an impact most weeks. Fair play to the manager because they've turned the players over ruthlessly so they've kept momentum."

He added: "If Wrexham get to the Premier League, I'll be delighted because it's a great club. They've got great supporters and there is a massive catchment area around Wrexham."

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