Wrexham has made a bold claim about its profitability with shirts in the USA compared to Premier League giants Arsenal. One of its players this season spoke about his time in Wales and the massive popularity Wrexham has across the globe. Arthur Okonkwo joined the Red Dragons on loan from Arsenal in the summer, and he has played 20 games across all competitions with Wrexham. In fairness, Okonkwo has done quite well with Wrexham this season in the club’s bid for back-to-back promotions.
“I’m told Wrexham sell more shirts than Arsenal in the USA.” Okonkwo compared his time at the Racecourse Ground to a previous loan at Crewe Alexandra. The popularity level is vastly different between the two. That is a credit to the Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who have turned the club into a global phenomenon.
“We were lucky to get 3,000 and here at Wrexham we are getting 12,000 or whatever, every game,” Okonkwo said. “And there were no Hollywood owners at Crewe! It’s a completely different experience.”
Still, in regards to shirt sales, it is bold to compare the League Two side to Arsenal, which has toward the top of popularity rankings in the United States for years. With more viewers on US TV for actual games, it is easier for soccer fans in the United States to follow Arsenal than it is for Wrexham.
World Soccer Talk compiled the leading clubs in shirt sales for the 2022/23 season for all clubs. Arsenal featured eighth overall in the list with 850,000 kits sold in the United States. Wrexham was not on the list, and there is an easy explanation for that. Arsenal’s stature in the Premier League makes it easily viewable for millions of Americans. Also, Arsenal has a history of having a true fandom in the United States. There are certainly fans that watch Wrexham when they are available on US TV. However, much of Wrexham’s popularity stems from the documentary series, Welcome to Wrexham.
Combined with the documentary, Wrexham’s performances on the field are working to expand the club’s popularity in the United States. In League Two this season, Wrexham occupies second in the table. The Red Dragons are five points behind league leaders Stockport County. Wrexham also has a game in hand on many of the clubs surrounding it in the table. While it is no guarantee, the prospect of promotion in this campaign is strong.
Also, Wrexham is reaching American viewers through continued success in the FA Cup. Wrexham has a difficult game against Blackburn Rovers in the Championship to advance to the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time since the 1996/97 season. In the 2022/23 campaign, Wrexham’s run in the FA Cup was one of the best storylines American audiences followed last season. Perhaps that contributed to the shirt sales for the club.
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