Dominic Samuel Signs For Blackburn Rovers

Reading have brought one striker in already this transfer window and have now let one go after confirming Dominic Samuel’s departure to Blackburn Rovers. The 23-year-old has signed a three year contract with the Lancashire side who were relegated to League One on the final day of last season. The fee is undisclosed, but various reports last week suggested that Rovers will pay the Royals around £500,000.

Samuel made his senior Reading debut way back in December 2012, coming on as a substitute in a Premier League clash with Sunderland at the age of 18. However, he has never been able to force himself into the starting XI permanently since, and found most of his playing time out on loan.

Spells at Colchester United, Dagenham & Redbridge, Coventry City and Gillingham set him up for his first real run in the first team in 2016/17, and he made nine Championship appearances between September and December, scoring twice. Despite this, he was shipped out on loan again in January, moving to Ipswich until the end of the campaign.

Samuel failed to score in six games for the Tractor Boys, but it was reported earlier in the summer that Mick McCarthy was keen to sign him permanently, with Barnsley also allegedly interested in getting the striker's signature. However, Blackburn had appeared to be his likely destination for the last week or so, and they have finally got their man as Samuel becomes their seventh signing of the summer.