News and Views
Kelly Departure Confirmed
09 July 2019
By Hob Nob Anyone?
Midfielder Liam Kelly has left the club as Reading continue to shrink their wage bill due to financial concerns. Former Reading manager Jaap Stam, now manager of Dutch side Feyenoord, has signed Kelly on a two year contract in a deal expected to be worth up to £500,000 in transfer fees to the Royals. Money remains tight at Reading so the deal should be beneficial to both clubs with the transfer fee perhaps lower than it might have been for a young player that still has plenty of potential for the future.
Kelly perhaps under performed last season and could prove a real asset to Feyenoord. Reading fans will be hoping a good sell on clause was included in the transfer with Reading due to receive a big payment from the four million pounds selling on of Jack Stacey from Luton to Bournemouth this week. Kelly played 94 times, scoring nine goals, for the Royals after signing professional terms in the summer of 2014. He had his best spell at the club under his new manager Jaap Stam before gradually falling out of favour over the last season.
Meanwhile Reading continue to look for a buyer for striker Sam Baldock who has been told he is surplus to requirements at Reading. Gomes is looking to remove the wages of another perhaps over-paid player after Baldock failed to impress last season. Like other players the club are looking to off-load he may be difficult to shift as he will be sitting on a very nice contract at Reading and other clubs are unlikely to want to meet demands for similar wages at their new clubs. Garath McCleary and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson are in similar positions after being told they are not in Gomes' plans for the new season. Transfer fees will not be a issue as Reading will accept almost any offer to cut their losses and take the wages down to enable new, lesser paid, players the chance to join the squad.
Discussion On This Story:
Snowflake Royal
Not sure but it does seem that he's been cut adrift a bit from the rest of the squid.
Unless we can find more midfielders, we could learn to regret that with a current first team midfield selection of:
Rinomhota, Swift, Kelly, East, and Meyler.
One is terrible, one is really only an attacking midfielder and one has just 1 senior appearance. The others are the excellent Rinomhota and Kelly himself. It's pretty low on reliable quality.
URZZZZ
Not sure but it does seem that he's been cut adrift a bit from the rest of the squid.
Unless we can find more midfielders, we could learn to regret that with a current first team midfield selection of:
Rinomhota, Swift, Kelly, East, and Meyler.
One is terrible, one is really only an attacking midfielder and one has just 1 senior appearance. The others are the excellent Rinomhota and Kelly himself. It's pretty low on reliable quality.
Which one is Meyler
Fox Talbot
Obvs the last year or so has been a pain on and off the pitch but earlier on there was a footballer in there worth watching - as opposed identikit midfielders like Meyler, Edwards, Evans. Kelly had some bravado and brains, could see and strike a pass and had a decent shot / free kick / pen on him.
His situation (and size of course) reminds me of James Lambert - another whose talent never turned into a real career with Reading. It's not particularly the club's fault, it's the way the modern game is. Luka Modric shows it can be done by a titch but there aren't many of him about. In our league - Luke Freeman? David Brooks?
Hound
For me since then he seems to represent the decline in the club since the PO season. From the outside a dodgy attitude seems to have resulted in a regression to a player not up to the champ
The move is undoubtedly best for all parties. He was no use to us in his current form and with Gomes not rating him. Big wage off the books and a chance for him to go back and find what made him a quality player in the first place. Hope it works out
URZZZZ
Still maintain he’ll be a top player somewhere along the line, sadly that won’t be with us but will be interested to hear how he develops over in the Netherlands because I think that will suit his style
andrew1957
Just for interest where did the 800K figure come from I thought it was 500K.
Snowflake Royal
Tidy player who wasn't at his best for quite some time, but got a hard time compared to many of the shirkers we've had. Far better defensively than given credit for, but just too small really. Leaves us weaker right now, but money off the wage bill and bonus income is what we need. Probably a dozen players I'd rather lose.
Zip
Courtney Friday who first broke this transfer says it’s a zero transfer fee but with add ins will reach £500,000.
if there is no sell-on clause included in this then that's a pretty garbage deal to be honest. I cannot believe for a second he was one of those on astronomical wages.
He did get a new deal when Gourlay was here so I suspect he was on a good whack.
SCIAG
If that fee lets us get someone better in (Baker being the obvious option) or lets us get two adequate first teamers, then it makes sense, but that seems unlikely, and otherwise it's one of the most baffling sales of recent years.
There have been a few comments about his attitude. Can't work out if this are veiled remarks about something I've missed. I pay zero attention to social media so if he's been sexually harassing people in Instagram then obviously I retract my comments.
Chameleon
Zip
If he is as good as you suggest then it is a very poor deal. Personally I just don’t think he is that good, When I compare the way Baker controlled games from deep in the back end of last season I just don’t believe Kelly can do that. It will be interesting to see how he does. If he succeeds let’s hope there is a decent sell on clause otherwise we have lost out one one of our home in a big way.
SCIAG
If he is as good as you suggest then it is a very poor deal. Personally I just don’t think he is that good, When I compare the way Baker controlled games from deep in the back end of last season I just don’t believe Kelly can do that. It will be interesting to see how he does. If he succeeds let’s hope there is a decent sell on clause otherwise we have lost out one one of our home in a big way.
Baker is obviously a much better player than Kelly, he'll have an extended career at the highest level. Baker is much too good for us. Only midfielders we've had with that level of talent in the last ten years or so are Carrico and Gylfi. You don't need to be that good to cut it for Reading.
At the moment it isn't a choice between Kelly and Baker, it's a choice between Kelly and East or Meyler. I would argue that the gap between Kelly and East/Meyler is a similar size to the gap between Baker and Kelly.
As I said, if we get an upgrade then fine - but given the tiny fee and our perilous financial position, we'll do very well indeed to get an upgrade.
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