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McDermott On Gunter And Transfers

Lots of eye-catching information came out of Brian McDermott's chat to the media today.

Ben Hoskins/Getty Images

Brian McDermott has today given his weekly press conference, ahead of Saturday's cup match against Walsall. However, high on the agenda were not only transfer matters, but also the future of Chris Gunter, whose contract at Reading runs out this summer. Speaking about those topics, McDermott gave some very revealing information.

On Gunter...

That's certainly encouraging news, with Chris Gunter highly regarded by many fans. The Welshman has been at the Madejski Stadium since Brian McDermott himself signed him back in 2012, and has been an ever present in the back four under successive managers.

On transfers...

First of all, Paolo Hurtado. The Peruvian has so far endured a pretty torrid spell in Berkshire, starting just one game so far, and often not getting into the matchday squad. With that in mind, a loan spell out of the club to get him some game time - in a country that he's used to - makes sense for all concerned. This comes after recent news that Hurtado was indeed in talks to return to Portugal.

Another player that hardly set the league on fire was Orlando Sa, who this week signed for Maccabi Tel Aviv. After having arrived from Legia Warsaw in the summer, Sa scored in just three games - one goal each against Brentford and Fulham, plus a hat trick against Ipswich. Clearly, Brian McDermott didn't see the Portuguese striker fitting in to his plans, making a departure inevitable.

Here's where things get really interesting. This is confirmation that the impending signing of Deniss Rakels, who is reportedly set to arrive from Cracovia in Poland, is not one driven by McDermott himself. The phrase 'owner's signing' is a very loaded term - it immediately brings to mind the signing of Royston Drenthe under Anton Zingarevich - the Dutchman being a mighty strain on the club's resources.

However, I'm far less concerned about the arrival of Deniss Rakels. In contrast to the Drenthe example, Rakels would cost less than £400,000 in transfer fee, and presumably not much in wages, what with him currently plying his trade in Poland. Indeed, I take the phrase 'owner's signing' in this case to mean something more along the lines of the Thais wanting Reading to scour foreign markets for cheap gambles that may or may not play out well. And, at roughly the same price we paid for Adam Le Fondre, Rakels looks like the epitome of a cheap gamble.

Stay tuned for The Tilehurst End for all the news as it comes in, including the imminent arrival of Deniss Rakels. But what do you make of what Brian McDermott said today? Leave us a comment below or tweet us @TheTilehurstEnd.