Tom Brady versus Ryan Reynolds – the North American dream in the third English football league

But even Birmingham's hard-line approach to spending cannot come without a plan. In an address to his supporters in April, Wagner laid out his plan.

Following the announcement of the stadium plans, the American financier spoke of making Birmingham a globally known brand, which includes the high-profile takeover of the club in England's second largest city.

He even hinted that the sponsorship deal with streetwear company Undefeated was done with that in mind, saying: “If you go to New York City or LA (Los Angeles), you'll see people on the street wearing Birmingham City jerseys.”

“I don't think they really know what they're wearing, but they'll figure it out. We don't want to draw too much attention to it yet, but they'll figure it out.”

The problem for Birmingham is that North American fans already know they are wearing the shirt of Wrexham, the darling of documentary makers in world football.

It is difficult to determine sales figures for exact replicas, but Wrexham's merchandise and retail sales were the biggest revenue driver, accounting for a third of their income in 2022-23, while their revenue outside Europe accounted for almost a quarter of sales.

And all this came before the sold-out summer tours of the US and Canada, during which Chelsea officials reportedly cast envious glances at a fan base that was just establishing itself and seriously competing with the names in the Premier League.

Perhaps that is why the idea of ​​playing the game on Monday in the USA was reportedly mooted in the summer, an idea that Reynolds rejected.

“I often look at the trends and metrics and on some weekends Wrexham is as popular as Premier League games and there is certainly more publicity than the big MLS (Major League Soccer) teams,” says Chris Harris, editor of the US magazine WorldSoccerTalk, who believes only Lionel Messi's Inter Miami is as competitive.

“Don’t underestimate it – you can see on social media that there are a lot of people who are Wrexham fans, and not just in passing but in the new arrivals and what’s going on at the club.

“They follow a club like Wrexham with the same ease and intensity as they would follow Manchester City or Chelsea.”

This support could be further enhanced by the EFL's US television deal with CBS, as it will make more games outside the Premier League easier and more convenient to watch.

Wrexham have featured nine times so far this season – more than any of the youngest Premier League clubs or lower-league giants such as Leeds United. Only one Wrexham league or cup game has not been available on cable or streaming.

No surprise considering Wrexham is mentioned in the headline of the press release announcing the deal and the promotional poster covering the deal features Wrexham striker Paul Mullin in the centre.

“The CBS deal is the Wrexham effect,” says Harris. “Their popularity from the documentary was a major reason why they pushed so hard for the rights.”