Lewis Brunt, who joined Leicester City on a free transfer from Aston Villa in 2021, has been sold to League One side Wrexham as the club’s first summer transfer. Brunt leaves King Power Stadium after three years, having failed to break into the first team. The centre-back joined City on a free transfer from Aston Villa and won the development squad player of the season in his first season. He went on to make four senior appearances for the club, starting in FA Cup wins over Watford and Gillingham and coming off the bench in Premier League defeats to Tottenham and Nottingham Forest.
The 23-year-old spent last season on loan at Mansfield Town, where he excelled in the heart of defence and deep midfield, helping the club win promotion from League Two. While the Stags hoped to make his move permanent, Brunt has instead joined rival League One club Wrexham. Brunt joins the Welsh club as they prepare for their first season in the third tier in 20 years, following consecutive promotions. The club’s name and reputation have grown in recent seasons since being taken over by American actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who created the documentary Welcome to Wrexham about their rise through the levels.
While several City players left on free transfers this summer, this is the first move the club has made that includes a payment, with Brunt still under contract for another year. The fee has not been published, but it appears that Mansfield was unable to pay. Their manager, Nigel Clough, stated last month: “We submitted an offer that was rejected. Unfortunately, we may be too far away in terms of their value and our ability to pay. But we are not ruling anything out, and he remains our number one goal.”
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