Reading FC Transfer Deadline Day Preview Summer 2017

Transfer Deadline Day is HERE! There’s just 16 hours left for clubs across the country to get deals done, but it could be the busiest 16 hours of the entire window.

Whilst in the Premier League the big questions are whether Alexis Sanchez will stay or leave Arsenal, whether Liverpool will get multiple big money players through the door and how the hell Swansea have signed Renato Sanches, in Reading everyone is wondering which of the Madejski Stadium’s many bushes Jacob South-Klein will choose to hide in.

To prepare you for the excitement, drama and Carabao cans (hopefully!) that lie ahead today, why not delve into our transfer deadline day preview...

What’s been done already?

It’s been an unprecedented window so far with Reading undoubtedly spending more money than they have ever done before in a single period. Tuesday saw the club’s record transfer fee broken as Sone Aluko arrived for a reported £7.5 million from Fulham, becoming Jaap Stam’s seventh signing of the summer after Pelle Clement, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, Vito Mannone, Mo Barrow, Leandro Bacuna and Dave Edwards.

The two most significant departures have been Danny Williams and Ali Al-Habsi, both of whom were key players as Reading made it all the way to the play-off final last season. Whilst it was unsurprising to see Williams leave at the end of his contract to pursue his dream of Premier League football with Huddersfield, Al-Habsi’s move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal did come a bit out of the blue.

Whilst the likes of Deniss Rakels, Jonathan Bond and Yakou Meite have all exited on loan, this summer has also seen academy graduates such as Dominic Samuel, Jake Cooper and Jack Stacey end their long associations with the club by securing permanent moves away.

So, could we see any more arrivals?

It’s clear exactly what the priority is today and that’s bringing in a new striker. Nelson Oliveira is the club’s number one target, whilst bids for Nahki Wells, Tomer Hemed and Jordan Hugill have all reportedly been rejected in the last few weeks. Signing any of these frontmen would surely break the club’s transfer record for the second time in three days and would certainly be a statement of intent from the Chinese owners who look to be pursuing a policy of promotion or bust.

Other players to have been linked with a move to Berkshire in last few days include former England right-back Glen Johnson as well as winger Edwin Gyasi, who has just been called up to the Ghanaian national team for the first time. In addition, Jaap Stam spoke a couple of weeks ago about how he was keen to add another centre-back, but it may be a case of whether other clubs can get their business done first before the 45-year-old gets his wish.

What about departures?

Stephen Quinn’s Reading career looks to be over and Stam has said that the Irishman can go out on loan with first team opportunities very limited at the Madejski Stadium. Fellow midfielder Sandro Wieser has also been placed on the transfer list, with his move from FC Thun last summer clearly not working out at all.

Should a new striker arrive then the path would be made for Joseph Mendes to leave either on loan or permanently, whilst Callum Harriott could look for a temporary switch away as he now finds himself way down the pecking order out on the wing.

Of course there’s always the possibility of a few youngsters completing loan moves away too in order to get first team experience.

Make sure you stay tuned to The Tilehurst End throughout today to keep up to date with all the incomings, outgoings and laughable rumours that may occur!