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Wrexham are bracing themselves for a busy week both on and off the pitch, following the announcement of club captain James McClean's departure. The former Republic of Ireland international has been a pivotal figure for the Red Dragons since his arrival in August 2023.

However, it was revealed on Saturday that the 36-year-old would be parting ways with Wrexham to join Derry City, following a mutual agreement to terminate his contract. Limited playing time and McClean's wish to conclude his career at his hometown club are believed to be the primary factors behind the move.

The news broke on the heels of Wrexham's 2-1 home defeat to relegation-battling Norwich over the weekend, which put an end to their four-match winning run in the Championship. Despite the setback, Wrexham remain tenth in the league table, just three points adrift of the play-off spots ahead of Tuesday evening's clash with Leicester at the Racecourse Ground.

Manager Phil Parkinson faces some crucial decisions in the January transfer window, with regards to both incoming and outgoing transfers. Apart from McClean's exit, the only other confirmed move so far is striker Jake Bickerstaff's permanent transfer to Cheltenham Town.

The Welsh side will need to wrap up any remaining transfer business before the deadline at 7pm on Monday, February 2. Here, Mirror Football examines two potential deals that could be finalised in the coming week as Wrexham strive to keep their play-off hopes alive.

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The idea of Wrexham talisman Paul Mullin departing the club would have seemed inconceivable not long ago. The striker has been instrumental in the Red Dragons' remarkable three successive promotions from the National League to the Championship, bagging 110 goals in 172 appearances.

Yet Mullin found himself out of favour in the starting XI following last season's January transfer window, when Parkinson strengthened his forward line by bringing in Sam Smith and Jay Rodriguez. The 31-year-old spent the opening half of this campaign on loan at Wigan Athletic, though the League One outfit terminated the arrangement early this month and he's now back at Wrexham.

Parkinson hasn't decided what lies ahead for Mullin yet after he featured in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Liverpool last week. Another temporary move away from the Racecourse appears the most probable outcome.

Discussing Mullin's circumstances with The Leader, Parkinson said: "Mulls needed the game on Tuesday because he hadn't had a lot of starts recently. It's that situation where we need to find the right route for him from now until the end of the season, and we're just working with him on that. He's trained well and played well on Tuesday."

Whilst a new signing shouldn't be discounted, midfielder Elliot Lee could also be on his way out. The three-time promotion hero is another player who's been informed he can leave on loan in January owing to limited opportunities.

In fact, the 31-year-old has yet to make an appearance for Wrexham in the Championship this season. Parkinson has confirmed that one potential deal for Lee has fallen through, but remains optimistic that another can be arranged before the transfer window shuts.

He said: "Elliott has had a good week-and-a-half of training now. He wants to go on loan and get some game time so we respect that. There was a club which was very close to agreeing a deal and they've gone elsewhere for a different profile of player, but I'm sure there'll be other clubs looking at Elliot."

With both players likely to depart from the club before the month's end, it would be logical for them to try and secure moves sooner rather than later, although it is still uncertain whether an offer for either player will be put forward.