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Wrexham's fresh American backing could secure Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac's long-term commitment to the Welsh club, according to an industry expert. An announcement was made on Monday that US investment giant Apollo Sports Capital had purchased a minority shareholding in the Red Dragons.

Reports indicate they've snapped up just under 10 per cent of the club, based on an overall valuation of approximately £350million. The injection of cash will fund major improvements to the Racecourse Ground, including building a brand new Kop stand.

The Hollywood duo will maintain their controlling interest in the Championship outfit as part of the arrangement. News of Reynolds and Mac's continued involvement will please Wrexham supporters, who have witnessed three successive promotions under the pair's ownership.

Football finance specialist Kieran Maguire reckons Apollo may have demanded guarantees that the A-list pair remain committed long-term to safeguard the club's worth.

Speaking on the Price of Football podcast, he said: "The value in Wrexham comes from the connection to Reynolds and Mac and the documentary. The reason why Wrexham sell 100,000 shirts a year is that a huge proportion of those are to people who are fans of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary.

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"If you take away Reynolds and Mac, will those people continue to have the same degree of enthusiasm for Wrexham? I think not. Part of the value of the brand of Wrexham is linked to the owners, but the owners are smart enough to realise that as well.

"I would imagine that Apollo and the other American investors probably have some form of golden handcuffs agreement with Reynolds and Mac, which says that you've got to commit to your involvement with the club for at least the next five years, because we might want to extract value going forwards."

He added: "If they get promoted to the Premier League, you've got another series of the programme and that part of the fairy tale is able to continue."

Reynolds previously outlined the duo's ongoing commitment to Wrexham during an interview with the Hollywood Reporter. The Deadpool actor was speaking last December following the New York-based Allyn family's acquisition of a minority shareholding in the club.

When questioned whether he and Mac were scaling back their involvement, he said: "No, we will remain majority owners. The team is growing faster than anyone expected. There are needs that require a certain type of skill and people who have some experience in growing things.

"We chose the Allyn family because they have similar values that make Wrexham. They've been revitalising towns and communities for many years in upstate New York, and that's why bringing them on didn't cause a big stir."

Meanwhile, Apollo's backing of Wrexham follows recent confirmation that the company has secured a controlling interest in Atletico Madrid. Reynolds and Mac said in a joint announcement that the collaboration would help guarantee a sustainable future for the Red Dragons.

The two actors said: "From day one, we wanted to build a sustainable future for Wrexham Association Football Club and to do it with a little heart and humour. The dream has always been to take this club to the Premier League while staying true to the town.

"Growth like that takes world-class partners who share our vision and ambition, and Apollo absolutely does. We have known Al Tylis, the CEO of Apollo Sports Capital, for many years and are thrilled to now have ASC join the Wrexham family as we take the next step forward together."

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