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Ryan Reynolds launches £8m Wrexham raid as huge transfer record bid emerges Wrexham are pushing to sign Norwegian defender Henrik Falchener in a deal that would smash their transfer record, but Viking are reluctant to sell Wrexham are reportedly pursuing a deal to sign Norwegian centre-back Henrik Falchener from Viking Stavanger. As per The Athletic, the Welsh club have already had two offers rejected by the Norwegian champions. Their most recent bid was worth £8.1million including bonuses, which would represent a club-record transfer. However, the deal is far from done, with Viking set on retaining the 23-year-old for their two-legged Champions League final qualifying tie against Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb. The first leg is in six days' time, on Tuesday, August 18, in Zagreb, with the second leg at home in Stavanger on Wednesday, August 26. Should Viking win the tie over two legs, they will be a UEFA Champions League side for the 2026/27 season. Phil Parkinson's side broke their club-record transfer just this week, signing Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson for £8m. This exceeded the £7.5m initial outlay they paid for Welsh international Nathan Broadhead in last year's summer window, although that fee was set to rise with add-ons included in the deal. Falchener joined Viking from second-tier Norwegian side Egersunds for a fee of just €250,000 in January 2025. The 6ft 4in centre-back has two international caps for Norway and was named in Stale Solbakken's 26-man squad for the FIFA World Cup this summer. The Red Dragons finished seventh on their return to the Championship – their first season in the second tier since 1981/82. They finished just two points behind Hull City in sixth place and missed out on the play-offs, with Hull going on to win them and secure Premier League status. Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham harbour those same ambitions, with the fire burning inside to complete their 'Hollywood fairytale' story. Speaking to Sports Illustrated recently, club co-owner Reynolds said: "Last year we arrived in the Championship and had a few months to build an entire Championship roster. "Phil, Michael (Williamson) and Shaun (Harvey) did a great job, and we came up just short of the play-offs. This is a different brief this season," he continued. "Like a home renovation show... this episode is about making the kitchen work better rather than doing a whole-house renovation." True to his words, Wrexham have been slower out of the blocks this transfer window, with just one signing before August in this window. However, they could hardly have been faster than last year's summer window, in which they purchased 13 players totalling more than £30m. Preparations have ramped up, though, with their sights firmly set on the Premier League. There have been arrivals of Danny Imray from Crystal Palace for £5.1m, Preston North End captain Ben Whiteman for £3m and Anthony Patterson for £8m. Should a deal be struck for Falchener, the Welsh side would have eight centre-backs on the books, though Conor Coady is earmarked for a loan away.