Did Ryan Reynolds use his net worth to buy a football club?

Ryan Reynolds, everyone’s favorite funny dude, bought a football club? First, we need to clarify several things about that sentence. Yes, it’s Ryan Reynolds the actor. Okay, he’s not everyone’s favorite, but a lot of people like his comedy so it’s a good general statement. Finally, we mean football as it is the global definition of football which the US readers will know as soccer. 

First, football is not called football in the states. Then, you spit in the fact of the metric system. Why do you have to be like this? Why is Ryan Reynolds using his A-list net worth to buy a football club? Which other famous funny actor is going all-in with him? What, exactly, is going on around here? All valid questions, here’s everything you need to know. 

Wait, what?

Fans who follow the Wrexham football club will remember that in September 2020, there were a couple of mysterious businessmen looking to invest about £2m in the club. Wrexham, currently eighth in the league, is moving forward with the deal, which revealed that the businessmen are Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, co-creator, and star of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. 

The deal, currently, needs approval from the Financial Conduct Authority in order to finalize everything. Now football is a lucrative business, Reynolds and McElhenney wouldn’t be the first to invest in a football club. Mindy Kaling did so with Swansea City. Natalie Portman recently bought the Angel City FC. The Welsh Wrexham is something that Reynolds and McElhenney wish to turn into “a global force”.

Or, otherwise, IDK, man rich people. 

Are they in it?

Reynolds and McElhenney are in it for the long-haul, which former Liverpool chief Peter Moore told the BBC back in Nov. 2020. He’s been hired on to be an advisor to Wrexham. Recently, in Jan. 2021, put their money where their net worth is by entering a Share Purchase Agreement and exchanged contracts. It looks like the deal may go through. 

Either way, the influx of cash into the club will be a blessing. Wrexham, like many other lower league teams, are currently being hit hard by COVID-19. Captain Shaun Pearson said, “But it is potentially a big opportunity for the club. It is probably a little while off in terms of everything going through but you’d be lying if you didn’t think it was exciting. This is something that could move the club forward in quite a big way.”

In a call, Reynolds and McElhenney said, “Our goal is to grow the team, return it to the English Football League in front of increased attendances at an improved stadium while making a positive difference to the wider community in Wrexham.”

Anything else? 

Everyone in Wrexham basically is for Reynolds and McElhenney buying the club. So, it’s pretty much seen a positive thing all around for the team and the community at large. Reynolds, in his typical Ryan Reynolds way, had a great joke about it. He responded to a joke Wrexham resident Shannon made to her friend about Reynolds showing up in the Welsh town.

He responded with, “Yep, you never know.” Before taking on in that Ryan Reynolds way of his, “I’ve waited eight years to respond to this tweet.” Now that’s dedication to the joke, Ryan. Either way, it will be interesting to see if Reynolds and McElhenney will be able to take the club “to the next level” as boss Dean Keates predicts. 

It looks like fans of Reynolds and McElhenney will be keeping their eyes on Wrexham to see what happens next with collective net worth and the football club as a whole.