Wrexham have reached League One in rapid fashion and that means some difficult decisions for boss Phil Parkinson this summer.
Back-to-back promotions have seen Wrexham go from the National League to League One under Parkinson’s guidance.
Moving this rapidly means Wrexham need to strengthen Parkinson’s squad and ultimately let some players move on.
Wrexham have already made a string of contract decisions with a number of players moving on at the end of their deals.
Ben Tozer and Jordan Tunnicliffe are leaving Wrexham whilst Rob Lainton, Luke Young and Callum McFadzean have joined the defenders in not being offered new deals.
That is just part of the Wrexham rise; not everybody can be part of the project moving forward.
Aaron Hayden returns to Carlisle United
The same goes for defender Aaron Hayden, whose contract is up this summer and won’t be renewed.
The 27-year-old joined Wrexham from Carlisle United in 2021 having previously been on the books at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Hayden impressed for Carlisle and Wrexham managed to convince him to drop into the National League.
The former Chelsea youngster was prolific in the National League, hitting 18 goals in 65 league games despite being a centre back.
Hayden wasn’t quite able to shine in League Two though, struggling with injuries throughout the last campaign, making just three appearances in 2024.
Wrexham unsurprisingly decided to let Hayden leave but it hasn’t taken long for him to find a new club.
Carlisle United have confirmed the signing of Hayden on a two-year deal, bringing him back to Brunton Park after three years away.
Carlisle have suffered relegation from League One, meaning Hayden will be back playing League Two football again this season.
Hayden will hope that familiar surroundings can help him get back on track after a difficult campaign with Wrexham.
Paul Simpson on Hayden deal
Carlisle will have hope of immediate promotion back to League One and will be looking for Hayden to play a major role.
Boss Paul Simpson has reacted to the deal, admitting that he is simply ‘delighted’ to have brought Hayden back to the club.
Simpson highlighted that Hayden returns to Carlisle as a more experienced player and one who has experienced two promotions with Wrexham.
Simpson moved rapidly to land Hayden as soon as he heard Wrexham were letting him leave.
The Carlisle boss even claims to have beaten other clubs to Hayden’s signature so early into the transfer window.
“We’re delighted that Aaron has agreed to return to us, he comes back to the club with more experience under his belt and two promotions. I think he’ll be a great addition to the group,” said Simpson.
“As soon as we knew he was going to be available, he was a player we targeted early. We’re delighted to have been able to get this agreed ahead of other clubs. We are now continuing to look to strengthen the squad, ahead of an exciting new season,” he added.
Wrexham fans would no doubt love to see Hayden thrive at Carlisle and will wish him all the best after three years of service at the STōK Cae Ras.
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