Do you think Long will stay?

[NR_Royal]

Well I was asking myself this earlier today, and I don't know if I'm just being optimistic but I reckon we have a decent chance of keeping him this season. Long himself has stated that his dream is to play in the Premier League for us. If he stays, he has a much better chance of that happening than if he leaves. He hasn't thrown his toys out of the pram (a la Stephen Hunt), and he seems happy enough in training and when chatting to McDermott. He enjoys being here.

When Doyle left, everyone knew it was coming, but only Wolves came in with an offer. Now there has been a huge amount of speculation, but nothing has actually materialised yet with a high price tag being the initial stumbling block. It seems that we are looking for around £7-8m for him which is a lot of money and clubs will see that as a massive risk. Newcastle seem to be needing a striker and despite all the rumours and the friendship between our managers, nothing has come of it. WBA are the latest team reported to be interested, but they don't NEED him. No one else can seem to afford him and we're not desperate to sell.

I would love to have him for another season. We seem to be building a team for promotion right now. We've replaced Matt Mills with an international defender. We're about to re-sign Sonko. We've signed Leigertwood. With Long in the team, we have a strong defence, midfield and attack. We could oxf*rd win the league with this team if we get lucky. So will Long want to be part of that? McDermott must have talked to him about staying, and could well be pushing harder this season if only to please our star players. However, if he doesn't sign a new contract he could well leave on a free next summer and we'd be a little gutted. But does it matter? Does it matter that we'd lose out on £7m that we'd never see anyway? Who knows? My main concern would be that Celtic could snap Long up on a pre-contract as early as January, which would be shit for everyone.

I'm hoping that Long sees that this club has a very good chance of promotion with him in it, and that he should give it one final chance. He's young, he's still got time on his side and I believe he can still achieve with us.

[leww_rfc]

Hopefully he won't. However my gut feeling is a Sigurdsson scenario and he will leave a few games into the season!

[Ian Royal]

I'm getting more confident of him staying. I'd go so far as to say I'd call it 77-23 in favour of him going now.

[biscuitman]

Hopefully he won't. However my gut feeling is a Sigurdsson scenario and he will leave a few games into the season!

Agreed. Shane Long is a perfect panic buy when the transfer window closes. West Bromwich.

[seahawk10]

I am as big an RTG as they come but a few things have me worried that he will be gone:
1 - He is at his peak value
2 - Strikers are typically the most over-priced asset a club will have.
3 - Selling one big asset a season will continue to keep the club in the black no matter what happens on the field (barring relegation)

I am inclined to agree with leww. We lower the price a bit and he goes before the window closes.

[SpaceCruiser]

3 - Selling one big asset a season will continue to keep the club in the black no matter what happens on the field (barring relegation)

We've already sold one big asset. To be honest, I'd rather Shane Long stayed than Matthew Mills did.

[Friday's Legacy]

i have a feeling he will still be here next season. no-one seems to want to pay what we want for him. i just hope it's not a case of we sell at the last minute and have no time for a decent replacement.

[Boyle the Royal]

I think he'll still be with us at the start of the season, but like Gylfi last year, he'll leave before the transfer window closes.

[Handsome Man]

He should leave: it is time for him to move up to the next level. I don't think we will see him at his best if he remains here next year.

[Reading777]

Haven't West Ham Utd just placed an 8m bid for Long? It will be disappointing if he leaves for another championship club like Mills.

[blueroyals]

i have a feeling he will still be here next season. no-one seems to want to pay what we want for him. i just hope it's not a case of we sell at the last minute and have no time for a decent replacement.

what makes you think there will be a replacement? brian's already said he'd stick with the current strikers if shane goes..

[rfc2001]

Obviously I don't want him to go, but if its going to happen just get the F*** on with it, so there is always the potential to replace

Yes he will go!!

[Libertine]

He's already gone we just don't know it yet.

McDermott promised him at the end of last year that he would do what it took to move him to a premier league team if we didn't win promotion and West Ham just upped their offer to £8 million for him. I figure it is just a matter of days, maybe a week, until he is no longer a member of Reading FC.

[Arch]

He'd be daft to go to West Ham, but I do think those voting 'yes' are the definition of RTG's - it's wishful thinking. He might stay, but the odds are long.

The West Ham scenario is an interesting one, because I believe we with Long and no further attrition are at least as good a bet to go up as West Ham are if not better. Don't count on Long to settle in and start scoring anywhere else right away. If he goes there, that's money talking, either to Long or the club or, most plausibly, both.

[Yahoops]

West Ham offer is rumoured to be £5.5m rising to £8m. Reading (according to the BBC) have turned it down.

[Elm Park]

I think those clubs interested in him will wait to see how he starts the season for us (unless we have sold him by then) and then put in a late bid.

[Svlad Cjelli]

No, no, no, no - categorically NO!

[Only one Trevor Morley]

Times suggesting there is a possibility - stating that Reading are likely to turn down a bid from West Ham and then may let his contract run down until Xmas transfer window. We'll see!

[brendywendy]

Haven't West Ham Utd just placed an 8m bid for Long? It will be disappointing if he leaves for another championship club like Mills.

5 million


add in carlton cole and ill take it

[Sarah Star]

Last I heard, McDermott wanted a team that was a team without any "stars".