The manager of one of Wrexham's pre-season opponents has rejected comparisons between the two sides after highlighting the financial gulf between them. The Red Dragons are currently taking part in a tour of Australia and New Zealand as they prepare for life in the Championship next term by taking on a trio of A-League clubs. Phil Parkinson's side eased to a comfortable 3-0 win in their opening friendly against Melbourne Victory last week. However, they suffered a surprising 2-1 defeat to a young Sydney FC team on Tuesday. Wrexham, owned by Hollywood A-listers Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, were dealt a further blow as star midfielder Ollie Rathbone was taken to hospital for an X-ray after injuring his ankle during the first half of the game. Sydney boss Ufuk Talay praised the Welsh outfit's quality during his post-match press conference, but took issue when asked to compare them to A-League standards. He said: "I personally don't like this comparison. They [Wrexham] play in their own competition, we play in our own competition. I don't think we're comparing apples with apples at the same time - it's apples with oranges. "Their budgets compared to our budgets are totally different. Our game is the A-League so we should love and support our domestic game regardless. Our competition level is good enough for players to be selected at international level." While Sydney play in the top tier of Australian football, the spending power of teams in the division pales in comparison to Wrexham's. A "soft" salary cap of £1.24m ($2.55m) currently exists in the A-League to try and stop teams from spending beyond their means. Some exceptions are allowed for marquee signings, with the average annual wage bill standing at £2.34m ($4.8m) per club in 2023-24, according to Professional Footballers Australia. By contrast, Wrexham's wage bill for the same season was £11m, taking into account pay for both playing and non-playing staff. The figure covers the period when the club gained automatic promotion from League Two. Their spending shows no sign of slowing either after signing two players so far in the summer transfer window. Plymouth striker Ryan Hardie and Leicester goalkeeper Danny Ward have been brought in to bolster Wrexham's squad. More new arrivals are expected, with a £5m fee reportedly agreed with Nottingham Forest for midfielder Lewis O'Brien. While negotiations are ongoing over personal terms, the deal would dwarf Wrexham's current record transfer fee of around £2m if it goes ahead. Liverpool left-back Owen Beck has also been linked with a move to the Racecourse Ground. While Wrexham's main focus is currently on their tour Down Under, Parkinson said the club is still working hard to bring in new faces. Writing for The Athletic, Parkinson said: "We might be on the other side of the world for a couple of weeks, but recruitment doesn't stop just because we're away. "We made a couple of signings — Ryan Hardie and Danny Ward — before the tour, but we're still looking to add extra quality before the season starts. Those attempts continue regardless of whether we are in Australia, New Zealand or back home in Wales." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.