Notts County are facing a potentially pivotal game ahead of them on Saturday lunchtime, when they travel to face AFC Wimbledon in the second leg of their League Two play-off semi-final.
Trailing the Dons 1-0 from the first leg, Notts have work to do in South West London if they are to book their place in the Wembley final, and keep their quest for a return to the third tier alive.
The Magpies haven’t featured in League One since 2015, and their hopes of putting an end to that spell this season have been dashed by the absence of both David McGoldrick and Alassana Jatta for Saturday’s clash.
Although the Nottingham outfit are yet to discover which league they will play their football in next term, preparations will already be underway for a summer transfer window which could prove to be a crucial one for the club, regardless of which division they find themselves in.
Notts tipped to target Wrexham’s Paul Mullin
The Magpies have received criticism from some quarters for their recruitment this season.
In recent years, they have unearthed gems from across Europe in the likes of Ruben Rodrigues and Alassana Jatta, however this term, there is a feeling that they have lacked sufficient depth to maintain a genuine push for automatic promotion.
Stuart Maynard’s side have been ravaged by injuries since the start of the campaign, and have desperately lacked back-ups for some of their key players.
Whether next season’s aim ends up being automatic promotion or a season of consolidation in League One, they will surely be keen to ensure they don’t encounter the same struggles next term.
As such, it could be a fairly busy summer at Meadow Lane, with several areas of the squad arguably needing to be addressed.
With that in mind, we asked FLW’s resident Notts fan pundit, Jack Richardson, who he would like to see the club bring in as a realistic target ahead of next season.
Jack said: “I feel like we need an experienced striker who knows the league, someone who has been around the block a little bit.
“I believe a player like Paul Mullin would do a good job at Notts.
“He’s not played as much as he would have liked at Wrexham this year. I think he’s a realistic signing for us, I think he’d fit the bill.
“The only hurdle would be his wages, which will be quite high at Wrexham. I don’t know if Notts would be willing to match those wage demands.”
Mullin could be a shrewd move for Notts if they stay in League Two
With Wrexham now set to play Championship football for the first time since 1982, it seems inevitable that Mullin’s time with the North Wales club will be drawing to a close this summer.
The Liverpudlian frontman has spearheaded the Red Dragons’ attack for several seasons, but has fallen down the pecking order this term and has struggled for both form and minutes.
| Paul Mullin last three Wrexham seasons (as per Fotmob) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | League | Apps | Goals | Assists |
| 2024/25 | League One | 26 | 3 | – |
| 2023/24 | League Two | 38 | 24 | 6 |
| 2022/23 | National League | 46 | 38 | |
With the 30-year-old’s services expected to be available for any interested clubs, it could prove to be a shrewd piece of business for Notts.
Mullin’s form has been particularly poor this season, meaning Wrexham would surely demand a significantly smaller fee than they would have this time last summer.
And although the striker has never really caught the eye at League One level, if Notts remain in League Two for next year, there is no doubt that he would be an excellent signing.
The former Cambridge and Tranmere man has struck an incredible 56 goals across his last two seasons in the fourth tier, and few are capable of finding the net on a more regular basis at the level.
Wages could prove to be a potential stumbling block, but the striker will surely know that he will likely have to lower his demands if he is to find himself another club.
Mullin hasn’t been the most popular figure at Meadow Lane in recent years, but that would surely change if the Wrexham star came to NG2.
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