January Window

[royalp-we]

So currently the expectation would be to lose Swift and Rafael in January along with Puscas if a loan deal can be worked out with someone. That would hopefully allow Reading to bring in a couple of loans for the rest of the season.

Getting Puscas off the wage bill may allow us to extend Carroll’s contract.

Rafael leaving would certainly require another GK on loan.

Should Swift leave I’d like us to go for a young and hungry player. But we’d probably go in for Lewis Baker.

Left field suggestion would be to get someone like Jordon Ibe who is without a club. Then we can put Ejaria back in the middle.

[Crowbar6753]

Shifting Puscas, Swift & Rafael would free up some big salary space and surly put us in good books with the EFL regarding FFP. losing Rafael and Puscas would not be a catastrophe in my eyes as we have enough cover in the squad, plus would enable us to get Carroll on a loan extension.
Losing Swift is a whole different ball game!! We do have Ejaria plus Halilovic would could fill that position and do a good job, but we would then need cover for the positions they vacated.
I like the idea of a hungry young player from league one or two as they shouldn't hit us to hard salary wise thus keeping us hopefully within FFP limits.

[Royal Ginger]

A lot of assuming Carroll wants to stay is going on. He’s put himself at Reading to say ‘I still have something left to offer and a bit of fitness’. I doubt he has much passion or loyalty to the hoops.

I see little reason for him to waste the limited tail end of his career where he is. If he gets a decent offer from a competitive team at the action end of the championship or even a bench warming role at the bottom of the premier league I’d imagine he’ll be off in a shot.

Freeing up wage space does nothing to the Carroll situation to my mind. Already out of the team’s hands.

[Stranded]

A lot of assuming Carroll wants to stay is going on. He’s put himself at Reading to say ‘I still have something left to offer and a bit of fitness’. I doubt he has much passion or loyalty to the hoops.

I see little reason for him to waste the limited tail end of his career where he is. If he gets a decent offer from a competitive team at the action end of the championship or even a bench warming role at the bottom of the premier league I’d imagine he’ll be off in a shot.

Freeing up wage space does nothing to the Carroll situation to my mind. Already out of the team’s hands.

He'll have come here to get games to show what he can do, whether 320 mins is enough to persuade another club that also fit his criteria to come in for him is a massive open question. As it stands, he has a maximum of 180 league minutes left with us - so if I were a betting man, I would say an extension until June is the most likely outcome but agree that is as much to do with Carroll as us.

[Snowflake Royal]

A lot of assuming Carroll wants to stay is going on. He’s put himself at Reading to say ‘I still have something left to offer and a bit of fitness’. I doubt he has much passion or loyalty to the hoops.

I see little reason for him to waste the limited tail end of his career where he is. If he gets a decent offer from a competitive team at the action end of the championship or even a bench warming role at the bottom of the premier league I’d imagine he’ll be off in a shot.

Freeing up wage space does nothing to the Carroll situation to my mind. Already out of the team’s hands.

Reportedly turned down other options to stay nearer his family.

What realistically better options does he have where that applies that he's still likely to see much pitch time at this level?

[blythspartan]

I wouldn’t be surprised if Fulham, Brentford or Norwich try to sign Andy Carroll in January on a year long deal. My Norwich supporting mate reckons they’re desperate for a striker right now.

[Snowflake Royal]

I wouldn’t be surprised if Fulham, Brentford or Norwich try to sign Andy Carroll in January on a year long deal. My Norwich supporting mate reckons they’re desperate for a striker right now.

He's not going to play much at any of them though, is he. Certainly not at Fulham.

[blythspartan]

I wouldn’t be surprised if Fulham, Brentford or Norwich try to sign Andy Carroll in January on a year long deal. My Norwich supporting mate reckons they’re desperate for a striker right now.

He's not going to play much at any of them though, is he. Certainly not at Fulham.

I agree but I don’t believe that would stop any of them from wanting to sign him in terms of bolstering their ranks. Obviously, if he’s serious about playing games he’d stay with us.

[Nameless]

I wouldn’t be surprised if Fulham, Brentford or Norwich try to sign Andy Carroll in January on a year long deal. My Norwich supporting mate reckons they’re desperate for a striker right now.

He's not going to play much at any of them though, is he. Certainly not at Fulham.

I agree but I don’t believe that would stop any of them from wanting to sign him in terms of bolstering their ranks. Obviously, if he’s serious about playing games he’d stay with us.

Of those it's hard to see why Fulham or Brentford would offer a 12 month deal (which would need to be 18 months anyway I expect)
Norwich might see it as building for next season but no point adding players this season for them.

[morganb]

ITK Eddie says

Understand that #ReadingFC have 24 year old left back Brandon Mason on trial. Potential cover is important as Baba Rahman is due to play at AFCON next month. https://t.co/RbbPcjHmEL

[Sutekh]

ITK Eddie says

Understand that #ReadingFC have 24 year old left back Brandon Mason on trial. Potential cover is important as Baba Rahman is due to play at AFCON next month. https://t.co/RbbPcjHmEL

Brandon is a 24 year old free agent having been released by Coventry in August. Spent last season making 7 league appearances on a season long loan at St Mirren. Started out at Watford.

[morganb]

More Twitter gossip-

Both Rafael Cabral and Felipe Araruna have been told they’re free to leave Reading.

[@GioMartineli] #readingfc https://t.co/jTLnSqQ6nP

George Puscas is at the top of the list of priorities for Serie B side Lecce.

There is also talk of interest from FCSB and CFR Cluj.

[@digisportro] #readingfc https://t.co/YCh6ybm7B9

[Zip]

More Twitter gossip-

Both Rafael Cabral and Felipe Araruna have been told they’re free to leave Reading.

[@GioMartineli] #readingfc https://t.co/jTLnSqQ6nP

George Puscas is at the top of the list of priorities for Serie B side Lecce.

There is also talk of interest from FCSB and CFR Cluj.

[@digisportro] #readingfc https://t.co/YCh6ybm7B9

Surprised about Araruna given we will need fullback cover in the coming weeks.

[Snowflake Royal]

More Twitter gossip-

Both Rafael Cabral and Felipe Araruna have been told they’re free to leave Reading.

[@GioMartineli] #readingfc https://t.co/jTLnSqQ6nP

George Puscas is at the top of the list of priorities for Serie B side Lecce.

There is also talk of interest from FCSB and CFR Cluj.

[@digisportro] #readingfc https://t.co/YCh6ybm7B9

Surprised about Araruna given we will need fullback cover in the coming weeks.

Yeah, not sure the kid who's name I've forgotten has really shown he's ready, so assume we must be looking at a signing. Either that or the CBs must be virtually all fit.

[Royal_jimmy]

We will sell anyone that we get a realistic offer for, Swift will probably go for sure.

Can see Carroll staying until the end of the season.

Thats about it.

Think the club will look to use whatever leeway they have to try and bring in one or two on loan if no more than to cover the ridiculous injury problems. If Swift could be sold for a million or so then maybe even get someone permanently from a PL Academy or something.

£1m for Swift? That is derisory and wont make any real difference whilst losing our best player.

[morganb]

Reading have rejected two bids from Nottingham Forest for Tom Holmes , with the second believed to be in the region of £750,000.

[@jonathanl50] #readingfc https://t.co/IWJoLrjnex

[Snowflake Royal]

We will sell anyone that we get a realistic offer for, Swift will probably go for sure.

Can see Carroll staying until the end of the season.

Thats about it.

Think the club will look to use whatever leeway they have to try and bring in one or two on loan if no more than to cover the ridiculous injury problems. If Swift could be sold for a million or so then maybe even get someone permanently from a PL Academy or something.

£1m for Swift? That is derisory and wont make any real difference whilst losing our best player.

He's got 6 months on his contract and an appalling injury record. More than £1m - £2m in the current tight financial market is utterly delusional.

[Franchise FC]

Think the club will look to use whatever leeway they have to try and bring in one or two on loan if no more than to cover the ridiculous injury problems. If Swift could be sold for a million or so then maybe even get someone permanently from a PL Academy or something.

£1m for Swift? That is derisory and wont make any real difference whilst losing our best player.

He's got 6 months on his contract and an appalling injury record. More than £1m - £2m in the current tight financial market is utterly delusional.

Much as it's disappointing, this ^

[Snowflake Royal]

Reading have rejected two bids from Nottingham Forest for Tom Holmes , with the second believed to be in the region of £750,000.

[@jonathanl50] #readingfc https://t.co/IWJoLrjnex

You'd think Forest would be a bit more cautious with us after Blackett.

If we're letting Araruna leave, we cannot let Holmes leave unless we have a replacement lined up. Especially with ACON and Yiadom's injury record.

Not to mention McIntyre, Morro and co all out.

[Sutekh]

Reading have rejected two bids from Nottingham Forest for Tom Holmes , with the second believed to be in the region of £750,000.

[@jonathanl50] #readingfc https://t.co/IWJoLrjnex

You'd think Forest would be a bit more cautious with us after Blackett.

If we're letting Araruna leave, we cannot let Holmes leave unless we have a replacement lined up. Especially with ACON and Yiadom's injury record.

Not to mention McIntyre, Morro and co all out.

Isn't that bid just a rehash from the summer?