Confimred - Benn Ward

[Clyde1998]

Benn becomes the fourth January signing.
Reading Football Club are delighted to welcome Benn Ward, joining the club from Accrington Stanley on a three-and-a-half year deal for an undisclosed fee.

The 22-year-old rose through the ranks with Brighton and Hove Albion before switching to Burnley in 2021.

Making his English Football League bow on loan with Swindon Town, the central defender signed an 18-month deal with Accrington in the summer of 2025.

Impressing at the WHAM Stadium, Benn has made nearly 50 appearances for Stanley and has earned multiple individual plaudits for his performances, including back-to-back Player of the Month awards.

Highly-regarded for his ball-playing ability in League Two, Benn signs on to become a Royal and is eligible to make his debut on Saturday at Northampton Town.

[Extended-Phenotype]

This is the sort of signing I like.

Turning out to be quite a window.

[Snowflake Royal]

This seems like it's proper future planning. Probably not for immediate play, but succession plan for Paudie and Williams maybe alongside Dorsett.

[Sutekh]

Confrimed

Exciting signing this…could be a player

Good ambition from the owners

Hopefully Reading’s official interview with him will dispel the careless whisper about him only being the cleaner at the Wham stadium

Buzzin’!

[OldFarmRoyal]

Let’s be honest he’s a non league player in the last 6 months of his contract if we decided to go for him in jan I can’t imagine the fee is going to be more than what, 50k? If that. I know couhig is tighter than a Scotsman but if we want him, and it means we don’t miss out on him surely we would move for him now. He’s spent more on fireworks this season…

Thought Accy were in league 2.

living up to your username i see but of course you are correct, accy are indeed in league 2.

Will this be us all done now Brogue in terms of incomings?

[WestYorksRoyal]

This seems like it's proper future planning. Probably not for immediate play, but succession plan for Paudie and Williams maybe alongside Dorsett.

I think he will feature immediately. If Williams is injured, there's a vacancy which Dorsett is currently trying out for and probably has the shirt for the next few games at least.

But we're talking about about a lad we've allegedly paid a sizeable fee for with around 50 EFL appearances, he's not a rookie. Plus the gap between L2 and L1 is not that big.

[Who Moved The Goalposts?]

Thought Accy were in league 2.

living up to your username i see but of course you are correct, accy are indeed in league 2.

Will this be us all done now Brogue in terms of incomings?

Maybe... or maybe not. I heard something else may be happening, but it is only at bid stage and certainly not a given. No idea who.

[windermereROYAL]

One more attacking midfielder and that`ll be a good window.

[Millsy]

Oh nice I thought he'd gone to Wigan

[Snowflake Royal]

This seems like it's proper future planning. Probably not for immediate play, but succession plan for Paudie and Williams maybe alongside Dorsett.

I think he will feature immediately. If Williams is injured, there's a vacancy which Dorsett is currently trying out for and probably has the shirt for the next few games at least.

But we're talking about about a lad we've allegedly paid a sizeable fee for with around 50 EFL appearances, he's not a rookie. Plus the gap between L2 and L1 is not that big.

Cambridge Utd are in the automatic promotion hunt... L2 is rubbish.

[From Despair To Where?]

Any signing is a gamble, particularly a player with no experience at this level but on paper, looks to be an extremely good signing. Young, big, solid and decent on the ball, and to be fair to him he was picked up from non league by a Premier League academy so must have something about him.

Looks like he can bang them in from 25yds as well if his brief YouTube highlights are anything to go by.

[TiagoIlori]

January can make a real difference to a clubs season so glad to see the club making these moves that other fanbases seem to be envious of.