Royals Offload Pogrebnyak To Dynamo Moscow

27 August 2015
By Hob Nob Anyone?

Pavel Pogrebnyak has left Reading to return to his home country where he has signed for Russian club Dynamo Moscow. Pogrebnyak had mixed success with Reading, although he did score 28 goals for the Royals after signing in the summer of 2012. Pogrebnyak drew mixed opinion from Reading fans after reports of his huge wages during a time the club were going through a tough financial period.

The club continued to cut the wage bill to solve the crisis, but could do nothing to reduce Pogrebnyak's huge income. Pogrebnyak was in the final year of his contract and was expected to remain at the club this season, despite missing the start of the campaign through injury. There were strong rumours that his contract included a pay rise if he was to stay at the club into the final year of his deal.

Pogrebnyak biggest problem was the perceived lack of value for money from his performances in a Reading shirt - however he was hard working player and a vital member of the team last season. If his salary was not known to be so big he would probably have left the club as a very popular player. Pogrebnyak, named number 7 in this season's squad, signed from Fulham on a free transfer three years ago. He went on to make a combined 106 appearances, scoring 24 league goals and 4 league cup goals during his Reading career.

His departure will leave the club free to sign a new striker before the transfer window shuts next week. Without Pogrebnyak the need to secure a goal-scoring player is greater than ever, and is something obviously in the club's current plans. With money released from the club's wage budget, Reading fans will be expecting the arrival of a proven goal scorer to fix the current goal drought.

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