Wrexham handed FA punishment over Callum O’Hare error following shock Sheffield United transfer move

Callum O’Hare’s move to Wrexham on deadline day left Sheffield United short - and also caught out some in north Wales as well, it seems. The Red Dragons have been punished by the EFL after O’Hare was included in a matchday squad without being eligible.

O’Hare left Bramall Lane in the final hours of the window in a move worth around £7m but is still to hit the back of the net for his new club. He returns to Bramall Lane on Friday night with both he and Wrexham looking to get their season going.

But his name is in the headlines ahead of that trip for the wrong reasons. An administrative error left O’Hare ineligible to make his debut against Millwall the day after his transfer, but he was named on the bench.

He didn’t come on, though, as Wrexham ran out 3-0 winners at The Den and that has at least spared the Welshmen the possibility of more serious punishment. If O’Hare had come off the bench, a points deduction could have been handed out instead of a fine, of £75,000.

A third of that has been suspended after Wrexham reached an ‘agreed decision’ with the EFL following two breaches of eligibility rules. On the first occasion Issa Kabore came off the bench in defeat at Birmingham City despite not being eligible before the O’Hare misstep.

A statement issued this evening read: “We can confirm that Wrexham AFC has reached an Agreed Decision with the EFL concerning two breaches relating to player eligibility.

“The Club has been fined £75,000, of which £25,000 is suspended.

“The first breach relates to Issa Kaboré’s inclusion in the matchday squad and appearance as a substitute in the Championship defeat against Birmingham City on Friday 28 August 2026. The Club held the correct right-to-work documentation for Kaboré but did not properly submit it to the EFL, meaning he was ineligible for the fixture.

“The second breach relates to Callum O’Hare’s inclusion in the matchday squad in the Championship victory against Millwall on Wednesday 2 September 2026. O’Hare had not been registered in time to be eligible for the fixture. He did not feature in the match.

“The Club is taking the appropriate steps to prevent such issues occurring in the future.”