Reading sold numerous key players during the January 2024 transfer window.
Arsenal only added centre-back Zane Monlouis to their roster during this window, perhaps resulting in a pricey move.
The Royals had a great squad during the first half of the 2023/24 campaign, but were shorn of depth in January earlier this year. The Berkshire side did well to survive after that.
| Reading FC senior departures (January 2024 window) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Moved to? | Loan or permanent? |
| Nelson Abbey | Olympiacos | Permanent |
| Tom Holmes | Luton Town | Permanent |
| Tom McIntyre | Portsmouth | Permanent |
| Nesta Guinness-Walker | Stevenage | Loan |
| Caylan Vickers | Brighton and Hove Albion | Permanent |
| Taylan Harris | Luton Town | Permanent |
Nelson Abbey, who appeared often in the early half of last season, was the first major player to leave the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
He had established himself as a major first-team player under Ruben Selles and demonstrated some promise, which led to Olympiacos signing him.
Tom Holmes, a Royals academy graduate, signed for Luton Town before being loaned back to Selles’ side for the rest of the season.
Tom McIntyre, another center-back who left during the transfer window, also joined Portsmouth.
Fortunately for the Berkshire outfit, Tyler Bindon and Amadou Mbengue were able to stay fit and develop an excellent partnership in the second half of the season, but these exits were not beneficial.
Caylan Vickers, who played out wide and up top for the Royals after emerging as a first-team potential, also left, and Taylan Harris followed Holmes to Luton Town.
Vickers and Harris’ departures were disappointing because the former is a skilled player and the later could have been a valuable wide option this season.
Another major departure was Nesta Guinness-Walker, who was loaned out for the rest of the 2023/24 season before being released in the summer.
Reading FC update raises key concerns for supporters
Royals fans will be praying that there isn’t a recurrence of the January 2024 firesale, but it appears that there may be some departures in January to keep the club going.
Not only does a takeover appear to be far from completion, according to an update issued by the club on November 28th, but it also appears that cash flow concerns are once again a problem.
Reading stated that while conversations are underway, day-to-day activities continue as the club faces liquidity issues to satisfy its obligations.
“Full focus will remain on operating as prudently as possible until the sale is completed to new investors who can take the club forward.”
This is hardly the most encouraging update, and it has left fans with many questions.
Reading FC can’t have a repeat of the January 2024 transfer window
To be honest, the Royals cannot afford to lose many players from the SCL Stadium next month if they are to remain competitive in the second half of the season.
The only position where they could possibly afford to sanction a leave is goalkeeping, with Dean Bouzanis likely to be offloaded given they already have a good number of choices.
They will most likely need to add to their full-back corps, and they cannot afford to lose players in this position. The same could be said about the center-back position, which has not entirely recovered from the previous January window. Fortunately for them, some academy grads have stepped up.
Charlie Savage has spent some time on the bench in central midfield this season, but he is a crucial player for the Royals, and their existing midfield must be retained.
It wouldn’t be so awful if they could replace these players, but their financial circumstances may prevent them from doing so.
Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan’s absence due to injury highlights the Royals’ lack of depth on the wing, and if Sam Smith becomes unavailable again soon, they will be in a very difficult scenario in the striker area.
With their lack of depth in mind, they simply cannot hold a firesale next month, which is why supporters are concerned about sales.
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