EXCLUSIVEUS-owned Birmingham City ask for their match against Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham to be moved to AMERICA

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Birmingham City  asked for permission to play their forthcoming League One fixture with Wrexham in the United States, Mail Sport can reveal.

The club’s American bosses raised the prospect of taking the visit of the Hollywood-owned North Wales side across the Atlantic in the forthcoming season – but the notion was swiftly declined by EFL bosses.

Had they been successful, the switch would have seen a competitive English fixture taken to outside of England or Wales for a historic first time. But insiders have disclosed that Blues got short shrift from those in charge and were left disappointed.

Birmingham were taken over by a US-based group in July of last year with NFL legend Tom Brady coming onboard as a minority investor a month later.

A-list actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took control of Wrexham in 2020 and have subsequently transformed the club’s fortunes, with back-to-back promotions taking them to League One and a smash-hit Disney documentary providing a surge in reputation in the US and beyond.

Birmingham City's US owners have asked for their match with Wrexham to be played in the US

Birmingham will face Wrexham next season following their relegation to League One

Wrexham have enjoyed a significant growth in their US fanbase since owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over the club, with the team enjoying back-to-back promotions

Should the game have been switched, it may well have served a highly-lucrative purpose, with a crowd no doubt north of St Andrews’ 29,409 capacity. It would also have provided content for both sides to build their global brands.

As Mail Sport revealed earlier this year, the EFL has set its sights on cracking America on the back of a new overseas TV deal that saw a 40 per cent boost in revenues.

The deal also features an agreement between the EFL and New York-based media agency Relevent Sports, who have snapped up rights to North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, to jointly-fund a marketing pot which will market the competition on the other side of the Pond.

Birmingham’s first season under their new owners finished in relegation to the third tier for the first time since 1995. 

Popular manager John Eustace was sacked with the side in sixth place, and was swiftly replaced by Wayne Rooney. Over a disastrous 83 days in charge the former Manchester United striker oversaw a plummet to 20th place. 

Rooney was replaced by Tony Mowbray, who departed due to an illness, with Gary Rowett ultimately being in charge when Birmingham went down.

NFL legend Tom Brady became a minority investor in Birmingham City last summer

Wrexham are already due to travel to the United States for friendlies ahead of the new season

Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, holds a wide-ranging role which includes ‘working alongside the sports science department to advise on health, nutrition, wellness, and recovery systems and programs’.

The prospect of a Premier League match taking place in the US, where football is enjoying a huge spike in popularity, has long been raised and is often met with a furious backlash. However, leading TV executives in the country are pushing to make it happen.

Birmingham City have been contacted for comment.