Rob McElhenney says he’s ‘significantly in the red’ on Wrexham AFC investment

McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds bought the football club in 2020 for a reported figure of £2m

Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds have shared an update on their investment in Wrexham AFC.

The Deadpool star and It’s Always Sunny creator, both 47, jointly purchased the team in 2020 for a reported figure of £2m while the club was in the fifth tier of English football.

Their journeys as club owners have been chronicled in the FX/Disney+ series, Welcome to Wrexham.

While promoting the show’s forthcoming third season, the pair were asked by The Associated Press where they were at financially with the investment.

“Accountants don’t really want to hear about the emotional investment,” Reynolds responded.

“You want to know, like how far in the red I am?” McElhenney asked. “It’s pretty significant. It’s true that in the beginning when we asked our advisors if this was a good economic investment, there was not one person that I can remember that was like, ‘Yes.’

“It was more like, ‘Don’t.’”

Rob McElhenney (left) and Ryan Reynolds (Getty Images)

Reynolds added: “Run away, yeah. History has an unbelievable amount of examples of how this was not the best idea, but we’re not in it to make money and goddamn it, we won’t.

“I think we recognize how lucky we are that we can be in this position where it isn’t about making money or any of those things. I mean, you have to be in a pretty privileged spot to be able to do this to begin with. But eventually, you know, as we climb up the leagues, we’re going to need outside help in order to sustain this club.

“One of our great mission statements and – this is something that is still a huge target – is to create a sustainable model for a sports club like this and allow it to support itself long after we’re dead and gone.”

Since taking over the club, Reynolds and McElhenney have overseen back-to-back promotions. Earlier this month, Wrexham booked a place in League One for the first time in 20 years by ensuring a top-three finish in League Two with two games to spare.

Wrexham AFC players seen in ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ (Copyright 2024, FX Networks. All Rights Reserved.)

The Hollywood pair have admitted to knowing nothing about the sport, but said they had fallen in love with it, and football culture.

Clearly not deterred by their Wrexham finances, it was announced on Monday (29 April) that the two stars have bought a minority stake in Mexico’s Club Necaxa. The Liga MX team is valued at over $200m.

The pair join celebrity minority owners actor Eva Longoria, model Kate Upton, NFL wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr and Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander.

Welcome to Wrexham season three will be available on Disney+ from 2 May.