Wrexham have agreed a potential club-record transfer deal with Sunderland for Antony Patterson, who is expected to undergo a medical on Monday, according to The Athletic.

The 26-year-old goalkeeper spent the second half of last season on loan at Millwall and has been given permission to speak to the Welsh club after talks between the clubs began earlier this summer.

Patterson came through the Sunderland academy and established himself as the Black Cats’ No 1 during the second half of the 2021-22 season. He then played a key role in Sunderland’s promotion in 2025, including making two crucial saves in the play-off final victory over Sheffield United at Wembley.

However, Patterson lost his starting place in the Championship team after Robin Rövsvovs joined a year ago. He came on as a substitute in Sunderland’s final pre-season friendly against Wrexham in their US tour, which Sunderland won 1-0.

Barring any last-minute hitches, Patterson will be Wrexham’s third signing of the summer, following Crystal Palace wing-back Danny Imre and Preston captain Ben Whiteman.

Millwall and Rangers had also been linked with the goalkeeper. Patterson made 16 appearances for Millwall last season after joining on loan in January, including both legs of their Championship play-off semi-final against Hull City.

Sources in the North East of England suggest the deal is worth £8 million, surpassing Wrexham’s club-record transfer fee of £7.5 million paid for Nathan Broadhead almost a year ago.

Seventeen Championship teams had better defensive records than Wrexham last season. Arthur Okonkwo and Danny Ward conceded a combined 65 goals.

There are various reasons why this record was not ideal, including a rocky start to the season for the backline and the team being outplayed in midfield at times, especially between February and April when Matty James and Ben Sheaf were absent.

However, even with these mitigating factors, it was widely believed that the performances of both goalkeepers – Okonkwo made 38 league starts in the 2025-26 season and Ward made 8 appearances – were only average.

Both also had their moments of brilliance. Okonkwo made spectacular saves in stoppage time in away wins against Charlton Athletic and Millwall. Ward, meanwhile, saved Wrexham a point at home to Sheffield Wednesday in August with a close-range stop from McNeil’s shot.

However, as The Athletic wrote on June 1 in an article titled "What Wrexham still needs to challenge for promotion next season": "If Wrexham are serious about pushing for the top two, a goalkeeper who can make crucial saves at important moments and consistently make sound judgments will be vital."

Wrexham hopes Patterson is that goalkeeper.

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