Exclusive: Wrexham closing in on signing of ex-Charlton Athletic midfielder

The 26-year-old was due to be joining Hungarian top flight outfit Fehervar from the Addicks on July 1 after signing a pre-contract deal back in February, but for personal reasons the deal was terminated.

That left ex-Arsenal man Dobson a free agent going into this month, and it appears that the Red Dragons and manager Phil Parkinson have swooped quickly to secure the services of an experienced League One midfield maestro, despite Nathan Jones being keen on him staying at The Valley.

Dobson had been a Charlton player since the summer of 2021, when he linked up with the south London club from then-League One rivals Sunderland.

An unhappy stint on Wearside saw the midfielder feature just 46 times in all competitions for the Black Cats over a year and a half, but he fared much better at Charlton, becoming an important cog in their engine room for three straight seasons.

Over the course of those three years, Dobson played 144 times for the Addicks across multiple competitions, scoring just the six times and notching 11 assists, with his primary position being at the base of a midfield.

Named captain of Charlton in December 2022 by Dean Holden, Dobson looked set to move to the continent back in January after Fehervar agreed a pre-contract deal to sign the 26-year-old, but they wanted him in immediately in mid-season.

A deal however could not be agreed with the Charlton hierarchy, so the move was scheduled to take place this summer, with July 1 being the start date of Dobson’s new career venture in Hungary.

However, Fehervar confirmed this past week that Dobson would no longer be joining the club, with the South London Press revealing personal circumstances have seen the player opt out of the move, and in turn return to England.

Since their promotion to League One, Wrexham haven’t done too much incoming business, with last season’s loanee Arthur Okonkwo arriving on a permanent basis from Arsenal, whilst Phil Parkinson landed the services of Leicester City defender Lewis Brunt, who spent last season on loan at Mansfield Town.

The midfield though is an area that Parkinson will have wanted to bolster, even though he has the likes of Andy Cannon and George Evans to choose from, as well as Jordan Davies and James Jones.

Dobson brings a wealth of experience at the age of just 26, which means he has room to develop still as well as being the captain of a club that are seen to be one of the biggest in the division.

Should Wrexham get this deal over the line, then it is a considerable coup for a newly-promoted side who harbour ambitions of not just consolidating themselves in League One next season, but who will be pushing for the top six.