PLAYER-BOSS Andy Morrell admitted he could not stand in the way of right-back Curtis Obeng’s dream move to the Premier League.
Obeng, who joined Wrexham in the summer of 2009 following his release by Manchester City, has moved to Swansea City for an undisclosed fee believed to be in the region of £150,000.
As well as the initial fee, additional payments will be due if Obeng makes the grade at the Liberty Stadium and the Swans will also pay 15 per cent of any future transfer fee profit.
Although Morrell is disappointed to lose the 22-year-old with Wrexham challenging for promotion, he felt it was a chance of a lifetime deal.
“It is a difficult one because we are non-league football at the moment and as much as we want to do well, and get promotion, opportunities like this don’t come along very often,” said Morrell.
“I feel that I am not in a position to stand in his way. I can stop him going to other places, but to the Premier League I don’t think so.
“We have turned bids down from other people for other players but this is one that would be unfair on the player to get in the way of.
“The Premier League is the promised land and you don’t get many opportunities to go there. And to jump from the Conference to the Premier League...I don’t know the last player that did that - there are probably very few.”
Morrell believes former England under 19 international Obeng, who scored his second Wrexham goal in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Bath City, has been more consistent in his performances this season.
“Curtis has done great for us,” said Morrell. “He still has his faults but he has improved immensely I think so good luck to him.
“Players with his pace just catch the eye. You can watch him on one game and you’d take him after 15 minutes. Then you could get him the same game the week after and you might think ‘hang on.’
“But Curtis has been more consistent this season definitely, something might have sunk in eventually to him that he has got to defend as well as go forward.
“I think he has done that more, the Brighton game was very good for him. Whether he is going to Swansea to go straight into the first team or to be in and around it, I don’t know, but it is an unbelievable opportunity for him.”
Morrell, who insists he was not under pressure to sell any players during the transfer window, believes it was an excellent deal financially for Wrexham.
“I think so,” said Morrell. “I wouldn’t have let him go if it wasn’t. We don’t need the money but the money that was put on the table for us is good.
“His contract is up in January next year but I just felt I couldn’t stand in his way.”
Although Morrell has bolstered his squad, he has not ruled out entering the emergency loan market when it re-opens next week and using the Obeng money at a later date.
“Maybe if something comes up that is worthwhile doing,” added Morrell.
“We are looking at players now but it was a bit tight to the deadline to be doing that so maybe it is a view to things in the summer.
“But it certainly might help with wages for a loan player or something like that to strengthen us again if we do get potential injuries in a certain position.
“Another week and you can emergency loan players, and then if you take them it will probably be in a couple of weeks then they will be covered for the play-offs as well - the 93 days - so that is a thought process if we are going to be looking at that as well.”