Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney sell part of Wrexham
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have sold a stake in Wrexham football club to the US investment firm Apollo Sports Capital as they attempt to lead the team to the Premier League.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have sold a stake in Wrexham to a US investment firm.
The Hollywood stars purchased the Welsh football club in 2021 and have overseen a fairytale period of three straight promotions that has propelled the team to the Championship - although they have now sold part of the club to Apollo Sports Capital, the company that owns Spanish giants Atletico Madrid, as they bid to take the final step to get to the Premier League.
Ryan and Rob said in a joint statement: "From day one, we wanted to build a sustainable future for Wrexham Association Football Club.
"And to do it with a little heart and humour. The dream has always been to take this club to the Premier League while staying true to the town.
"Growth like that takes world-class partners who share our vision and ambition, and Apollo absolutely does.
"We have known Al Tylis, the CEO of Apollo Sports Capital, for many years and are thrilled to now have ASC join the Wrexham family as we take the next step forward together."
Apollo Partner and Co-Portfolio Manager Lee Solomon added: "Wrexham is on an incredible journey, and we are thrilled to be a part of it and to support the Club, the Wrexham community and Rob and Ryan.
"This is a multi-faceted investment where Apollo Sports Capital can provide long-term, patient capital to help Wrexham reach its goals and to contribute to the ongoing revitalisation of the facilities and local economy."
Reynolds suggested earlier this year that he will "never get bored" of being Wrexham owner.
The 49-year-old actor told the Wrexham supporters podcast Fearless in Devotion: "I’m glad it happened when we are at the age I’m at. Because I don’t think this is something I would have been able to handle any younger. I wouldn’t change anything about my time here. I don’t know how you get bored with something like this.
"I love this sport so much now that now I hate it too – I really feel that in my cells."
However, the Deadpool star admits that he hates having to say goodbye to the players who leave Wrexham as he and McElhenney spend a lot of time making them feel at home at the club.
Reynolds said: "I ghost everyone! No, I’m kidding. I think one of the strong suits of this was that we just wanted to connect with the players.
"But it’s a hard sport, man. It’s not too dissimilar to show business, there’s a lot of rejection. So when every player signs, we FaceTime them. We call them, we give them our info, we say if you need anything, call us."
