“Vultures are circling” – Reading FC reaction issued amid Sam Smith, Wrexham AFC interest

“Vultures are circling” – Reading FC reaction issued amid Sam Smith, Wrexham AFC interest

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Premier League team is interested in the 17-year-old left-back. They made a first offer of almost £2 million for Garcia, but the Royals turned it down.

Before the transfer market closes on Monday, Football League World exclusively disclosed that Wrexham is interested in Reading’s top striker. The possibility of a major player being sold is quite real given the club’s financial circumstances.

Smith should get a better move than to another League One team if he wanted one, according to Football League World’s Reading fan pundit Johnny Hunt. However, the Royals have been told to stick to their price tag because they won’t be able to find a replacement for the forward. Hunt was asked if his worst fears are coming true with vultures circling both Smith and Garcia.

“It’s not surprising that the vultures are circling around our players,” Johnny told FLW.

“The window is about to close, and you’re hoping that we can make it through without selling any players, but we all understand how football operates.

“Until the ownership issue is resolved, we are unable to award contracts after the summer. It seems unlikely that it will be resolved during the upcoming week.

“We continue to have faith even though it has taken 18 months and God knows how long it has taken to come this far and nothing is close yet.

“Players must pay a fair price if they wish to attend. To defend it, we need the money.

Regarding Wrexham’s interest in Sam Smith? We won’t be able to replace him, thus I don’t want him to leave. He has been at this level and is a very excellent striker for us.

I would wonder if he could climb any

“He has played at the League One level for that reason, no offense intended. However, aside from the outcome against Stevenage last night, you speak of Wrexham as a team that is thriving.

“The top two are predicted to rise, but for someone like them, as well as for their own growth and potential, joining them would be a no-brainer.

“Sam Smith would fit in with their style of play and everything else. I don’t want him to go, though.

“He’s a Reading boy, and we need him to help us get through another challenging time at the club. We also need everyone to stick together.”

“You know, Garcia is the same. He is 17 years old and is going to sit on the bench at a club.

However, we just have no idea what will occur. We must hope and pray that we end the transfer window with the same group and team as we now have.

Smith has a deal with playoff-chasing Reading till 2026. Smith is undoubtedly one of the club’s top assets, but they are always vulnerable to losing them due to their well-documented financial crisis under Dai Yongge’s turbulent management.

Naturally, Reading has had trouble keeping hold of important players lately, and there’s a good likelihood that Garcia or Smith may be the next to leave for financial reasons. The club’s daily funding is still the top priority for the time being.

Even if it is a harsh pill to chew for a team that is fighting against the odds in the situation, a sale could temporarily alleviate their financial difficulties because the club’s future is at stake. It might be much harder to accept selling him to a rival in Wrexham.

Sam Smith’s career stats via FotMob, as of 29/01/25
Years	Club	Appearances	Goals	Assists
2016-2021	Reading	11	2	0
2016	Bishop’s Stortford (loan)	7	2	0
2018-2019	Oxford United (loan)	24	3	1
2019	Shrewsbury Town (loan)	3	0	0
2019-2020	Cambridge United (loan)	34	8	2
2020-2021	Tranmere Rovers (loan)	7	0	0
2021	Cheltenham Town (loan)	21	4	1
2021-2023	Cambridge United	109	35	3
2023-	Reading	63	27	3