Rumour - Gary Hooper

[St. Brynjar]

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/405391/Royals-boss-Nigel-Adkins-in-Gary-Hooper-hunt?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+daily-express-football-news+%28Daily+Express+%3A%3A+Football+Feed%29

Royals boss Nigel Adkins in Gary Hooper hunt

READING manager Nigel Adkins has asked his board to cough up the cash for Celtic hitman Gary Hooper.

The Royals boss wants to team up again with his former Scunthorpe United striker at the Madjeski Stadium.

He has given a list of summer targets to Reading’s owner, Russian billionaire Anton Zingarevich, and the 31-goal Hoops frontman is right at the top of it.

Adkins made two bids for Hooper when he was manager of Southampton and now he wants the 25-year-old to spearhead Reading’s Championship title challenge – as they look to bounce back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Express Sport revealed that top-flight new boys Hull City have already declared an interest in the English frontman, while Sunderland have also been linked with Hooper. Norwich and QPR are no longer in the running.

Hooper is keen to move and is in the last 12 months of his contract. Celtic have to decide whether to sell him now or lose him for nothing next year.

Would be mightily impressed if we pulled this one off.

[winchester_royal]

No. Fookin. Chance.

[maffff]

For some bizarre reason this feels plausible to me.

One we missed out on - since we had him play for us on trial when he was with Grays. And with his history with Adkins.... plus Anton.

Still, he's no Cedric Baseya.

[akranes]

Then Celtic can finally buy Doyle. Win win....

[USA_Loyal_Royal]

If we pull this off it could be the greatest signing in reading fc history. I will personally run naked through the streets of concord.

[soggy biscuit]

No thanks

[6 Million Dollar Man]

This is a guy who has played in the Champions League, and was being touted (in some quarters) for an England call up last season. If he moves, it will be to the Premiership

[TBM]

This strikes me as lazy journalism (again)

Adkins used to manage him
Adkins wanted him at (Premiership) Southampton
Hooper is in his last year of his contract
I know lets try and link all these things together and make a story

[Muskrat]

This is a guy who has played in the Champions League, and was being touted (in some quarters) for an England call up last season. If he moves, it will be to the Premiership

Basically this. Although I think his stock is artificially high as he is playing in by far the best team in a poor league, probably comparable to English League One. If he moves at all it will be to a Premier League side. Having said that if Adkins can pull it off I think he'd be a half decent striker at Championship level.

[Barry the bird boggler]

We could have had him for free when he was on trial here a few years back. Not convinced if he's up to Championship standard but certainly wouldn't mind taking the opportunity to find out.

[Wycombe Royal]

Didn't Norwich have an £8m bid turned down in January?

[TBM]

Didn't Norwich have an £8m bid turned down in January?

I think Celtic just refused to answer, as it was late in the [transfer deadline] day

But as he's going in to his last year they may be forced to sell him if he doesn't sign an extension

[winchester_royal]

Guys, I h8 to be rude, but those even questioning whether he's good enough for the Championship need their heads testing.

In his one season at Championship level he scored 19 in 35 games in a relegation-threatened Scunthorpe side (having scored 24 goals in L1 to get them promoted the season before), and has since gone on to score 7 goals in Europe at a better than 1 in 3 ratio.

Sadly there's very little chance of us getting him, but if he did somehow manage to get him here it would be a massive coup.

[SydenhamRoyal]

If we pull this off it could be the greatest signing in reading fc history. I will personally run naked through the streets of concord.

shit

[maffff]

This was dated 21 July 2005.

Grays Athletic report that "Following Gary Hooper's week long trial with Reading FC, the Championship side are said to be impressed with the youngster both on and off the pitch and will continue to watch him... The club have no intention of selling him at this time".

So he would have had 17 when we had him for that week. We signed Shane Long and Kevin Doyle that June, Lita in the July, already had Kitson, and Cox. WIth Church seen as a big talent in the youth squad, and a few years behind him Connor Wickham was massively rated as someone that would develop into a first team player. The pathway to the first team was pretty far away so you can see why we didn't opt for him even if he had impressed, although Charlie Austin had been released the year before, and I'd imagine there were other youth players that 'had a bit about them'.

We got Chukwunyelu in the August - so perhaps that was who we opted for instead of Hoops.... someone who would cause a bit more of an impact on the pitch then, rather than in a season or two.

[P!ssed Off]

This would be a coup if we pulled it off.
Obviously without the Adkins connection it would seem implausible, but last year of his contract, who knows.

If we managed to get Hooper and keep McCarthy we would surely have to be favourites for the title.

[Sythri]

This would be a coup if we pulled it off.
Obviously without the Adkins connection it would seem implausible, but last year of his contract, who knows.

If we managed to get Hooper and keep McCarthy we would surely have to be favourites for the title.

... And if we hold onto a few of the other players we have already

[maffff]

Could their source be football rumours / could someone on football rumours actually know something?

Found this looking for a celtic forum to see if it's referenced

Celtic Rumours
http://www.football-rumours.co.uk/celtic-rumours.php - Cached - Similar
Reading have contacted Celtic about Gary Hooper. Adkins knows him from his time at Scunthorpe and Anton Zingarevich would be willing to stump up the fee ...

it's the timing that's interesting-

03 Jun 2013 12:00:11
Reading have contacted Celtic about Gary Hooper.

Adkins knows him from his time at Scunthorpe and Anton Zingarevich would be willing to stump up the fee required as a straight cash-up-front bid for the frontman as a replacement for Pavel Pogrebnyak with wages not looking like a problem.

Celtic have already braced themselves for his exit, with Norwich cooling their interest after signing van Wolfswinkel and Hull unwilling to meet the fee required.

The striker may opt to remain with Celtic though as he is not keen on dropping down to the Championship but knows that if he signed for Reading they are in good shape to bounce back to the Premier league at the first attempt.
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Norwich haven't cooled their interest. Expect him to sign for the Canaries within the next fortnight.
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Only in your dreams will Hooper join Reading. Norwich haven't cooled their interest. They're having an overhaul of the striker position, and Hooper is the one they most want at the moment.
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Hooper wants to increase his chances of playing for England why would he even consider joining reading?
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I think we can get players who would do the same job and Hooper can cheaper than Celtic would want. Anyway we have Alfie
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Hooper going to spurs
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Norwich are still intrested with holt due to leave
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Hooper to Liverpool to replace Suarez anyone?
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Benteke will replace suarez. Hoops to Canaries
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[Royalwaster]

I can already see the headline: 'Hooper to don the Hoops ....'

[Maguire]

Just can't see why he'd come here. Super player though.