Low Expectations On Transfer Deadline Day

01 September 2014
By Hob Nob Anyone?

Reading fans will be hoping for some incoming activity on transfer deadline day as the transfer window closes tonight. Over the summer the Royals have seen four players arrive and thirteen players leave who were on our books last season. Not only have Reading seen the squad massively slimmed down thanks to activity in the transfer market, and contracts that were not renewed, but Reading manager Nigel Adkins faces an injury crisis making the squad feel smaller still. The huge deficit of nine players on the books has been softened by the batch of academy players graduating to the first team squad and getting their first action for the senior side.

The incoming transfers have seen relatively little money spent with the biggest signing being Oliver Norwood who arrived from Huddersfield Town in a deal that was worth 1.2 million pounds. Striker Simon Cox signed for just 600,000 from Nottingham Forest. Jamie Mackie arrived on a season long loan, also from Forest, while the mysterious signing of invisible man Anton Ferdinand was on a free.

Reading released a number of first team players over the summer including Mikele Leigertwood, Wayne Bridge, Kaspars Gorkss and Jobi McAnuff. Last week Alex McCarthy made a big money move to QPR as three million more pounds made their way into the Reading FC bank account. That followed the departure of Sean Morrison to Cardiff City for more millions. Morrison linked back up with former Reading forward Adam Le Fondre - another departure worth over a million to the Royals. Reading also collected 1.5 million from the sale of Daniel Carrico to Sevilla. The Royals should have a huge surplus of cash from the sale of key players - and a much reduced wage bill - which makes you think some money would be available to strengthen the squad.

The takeover by the Thai consortium is expected to pay off the debts, so fans would be forgiven for thinking that some money might be put back into the squad. However, every recent transfer deadline day has been a huge anti-climax for Reading fans. Even when we've been promised new players the club have failed to deliver. This time around nothing's been promised and the takeover still drags on - which means expectations for the arrival of new players remains low. The rumours are already flying around, and you can guarantee that the Royals will be linked with plenty of names today even if no new signings are made. Lets just hope we manage to keep hold to what's left of the squad.

Share this article: