Matias Moreno: Phil Parkinson would not comment on Wrexham links with Fiorentina’s Argentine defender

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson would not be drawn on speculation linking the Championship club with defender Matias Moreno.

Reports have suggested the north Wales club have reached agreement with Italy’s Fiorentina for the 22-year-old Argentine.

However, Parkinson was not prepared to comment on the links.

“I think if we end up signing every player we’re linked with, we’d have about 40 players in the building just now,” said Parkinson.

“From our point of view, we’re concentrating on the lads we’ve got.”

Wrexham are preparing for their second season in the Championship by playing games in both Europe and America, having just missed out on the play-offs in May.

“This pre-season has been about focusing on the group we worked so hard to put together last year and getting them together as a group, and building on what we did last season and getting more out of every single player,” Parkinson said.

“At the moment, if the right player comes available and we feel they’re going to enhance this group, then obviously we’ll make a move.

“A lot of that work was done last season and if there are some additions, they’ll be ones we feel can really improve us, obviously.”

Wrexham began their pre-season campaign with a 0-0 draw away to Polish side Wisla Krakow last Saturday.

Parkinson was pleased with the workout in which 22 players played a half each.

“It’s making sure that we get the minutes in players,” Parkinson said.

“When it is only a 45-minute game for the individuals, then we can train harder leading into it and then straight after when we get back, because there’s not that need for the second day recovery.

“So far this week, it’s been a decent week again and we’ve got two more days to build up before we head out to Helsinki.”

Manchester United will be Wrexham’s next pre-season opponents on Saturday at Helsinki’s Olympic Stadium.

Next week, Wrexham travel to the United States where they face Leeds United in Tampa on Sunday, 26 July before tackling Liverpool in New York four days later.

Their final pre-season game is against Sunderland on Sunday, 2 August.

“I think you always want to play well in any game,” Parkinson said.

“But this early stage of pre-season, the first couple of weeks, the fitness element overrides anything really because we’ve got to get the lads prepared for a Championship season.”

Parkinson says most of his squad are “where we need to be in terms of the fitness”.

“We’ve got a few lads, like most clubs, who will come back in later, with niggly things which carry over from last season, but we’re not overly concerned with those,” he added.

“The lads feel they’re in a good place.

“It’s an interesting fixture going to play at the Olympic Stadium, which I think is great for us.

“We’ll enjoy that and then prepare for the trip to America on Wednesday.”

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