Chelsea special: The Blues to play Wrexham in USA, Anthony Barry joins Bayern Munich

• Chelsea will face national league champions Wrexham in the USA in a pre-season friendly
• The match will take place on July 19 as part of the larger United States tour 
• Meanwhile, the Blues have lost first-team coach Antony Barry who is expected to join Bayern Munich

Wrexham will face Chelsea in a pre-season friendly on July 19 as part of their tour of the United States.

The National League champions will face the Premier League side at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan Stadium, which is owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

It is the latest coup for Wrexham, who just announced a July 25 match against Manchester United in San Diego.

Chelsea were previously slated to play Brighton and Hove Albion on July 22 in Philadelphia, Newcastle United on July 26 in Atlanta, and Fulham on July 30 outside Washington D.C. in the Premier League Summer Series.

Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson told the club’s official website: “Our tour of the United States will be an exciting part of the summer’s build-up to the new season and something we will all be looking forward to in July.

“To have the opportunity to play a team of Chelsea’s calibre at the Kenan Stadium, North Carolina, will be a terrific test for our players and form an important part of our preparations for the 2023-24 season.

“We’re looking forward to meeting some of the fans who have supported us so passionately from afar this season at a renowned athletics stadium.”

Wrexham are four points clear of second-placed Notts County with two games remaining in the National League and will secure promotion to League Two with a victory over Boreham Wood on Saturday.

READ: Chelsea meets with Julian Nagelsmann in manager search

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich has reached an agreement with Chelsea to hire first-team coach Anthony Barry.

Bayern Munich made an initial bid for Barry at the end of March, and the two teams have spent the previous few weeks finalizing the agreement.

Chelsea first coach Anthony Barry is expected to join Bayern Munich and team-up with ex-Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel. | PHOTO: Chelsea FC|

The German champions have agreed to a deal worth up to €1 million, depending on add-ons. Barry will reunite with Thomas Tuchel, whom he impressed during their time together at Stamford Bridge.

“He’s a big character, very friendly,” Tuchel previously said of Barry. “He has a great quality at analysing games and giving his opinion.

“I feel he’s very comfortable on the pitch when handling exercises and he’s a specialist with set pieces so he does the video session and the training.”

Barry is already in Germany, and it is assumed that he will make his debut for Bayern this weekend against Mainz in the Bundesliga.

He joined the Chelsea coaching staff during Frank Lampard’s first term but continued with Tuchel after Lampard left in January 2021. Barry has also worked as a coach with the national teams of the Republic of Ireland, Belgium, and Portugal.