Reading FC Corner 2 - Club News, Players, Transfer gossip & ALL other things 'Royals'

Reading FC boss Jose Gomes says sacking him would be a mistake after loss to Bristol City


The manager's full verdict post match at Ashton Gate


https://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/reading-fc-boss-jose-gomes-17037130

Mark Bowen takes charge as manager following Jose Gomes sacking


Reading sporting director Mark Bowen has been appointed as the new manager of the Championship club. The former Norwich City, West Ham and Wales full-back replaces Jose Gomes, who was sacked last week after less than 10 months in charge.


https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50000945

Sheffield United are still in “pole position” to sign John Swift from Reading, according to the Sheffield Star. This is despite the fact United reportedly had a £4m offer for Swift rejected by the Royals.

Negotiations between the two clubs are set to continue and manager Chris Wilder is hopeful the midfielder will have joined his squad before they report back for pre-season training in a couple of weeks’ time. Although Swift is a key player for Reading, the Championship side are open to selling the 25-year-old. That is primarily because he is a top earner at the Madejski Stadium and with the club experiencing financial problems, they need to balance the books.

Reading may be forced to sell Michael Olise due to financial pressures facing the Championship club but, according to the Reading Chronicle, the Celtic target won’t be leaving on the cheap.

While Mark Bowen’s Royals might have pulled away from the peasants to secure their place in the second tier after a dismal start to the season, this summer presents even more challenges.

With almost every club in the Championship under pressure to raise funds during a financial crisis of unprecedented proportions, the Reading team that kicks off 2020/21 could be missing a few familiar faces. According to the Mail, Scottish champions Celtic are also looking to raid Reading for Olise, a ‘massively talented’ central midfielder formerly of Manchester City and Chelsea.

Celtic’s recruitment chief, Nicky Hammond, has been a big fan of Olise for some time now. And reports coming out of Berkshire suggest that, while Reading won’t sell one of their prized assets for a reduced fee, they will be forced to consider any substantial offers that come their way. A technically gifted, forward-thinking ‘number eight’ renowned for his piercing passes and fine dribbling skills, could Olise be a long-term replacement for the eternally exit-linked Olivier Ntcham at Celtic?

Reading have received a timely boost in their transfer pursuits with Portuguese target Pedro Mendes being told that he can leave Sporting Lisbon this summer. BerkshireLive broke the news on Tuesday afternoon leaving Mark Bowen and co. with a clearer path to landing the 20-year-old striker who they have been tracking since January. He still has three years remaining on his deal with the Portuguese giants but it is likely that this intervention will make the marksman much more affordable – something the Royals are in dire need of.

Reading’s Increasingly International Transfer Strategy


The data shows that while Reading have made more use of the international transfer market in recent years, the lower leagues have been overlooked.


https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/2020/8/12/21350593/reading-fc-increasingly-international-transfer-strategy

READING 

The Championship club remain under investigation by the EFL related to potential breaches of spending rules following their sale of the Madejski Stadium to a company controlled by owner Dai Yongge, although it is unclear whether Reading will face charges. The club’s financing and accounting practices remain a major issue however, and are understood to have played a role in the removal of chief executive Nigel Howe this week following an internal dispute, although he is staying on as vice-chairman. Even if they escape a charge over selling the Madejski, other charges of breaching spending limits appear inevitable without significant player sales, which may be difficult to achieve given the collapse of the transfer market in the wake of the pandemic. 

Reading are under investigation by the EFL after the sale of the Madejski Stadium to a company run by new Royals owner Dai Yongge
The club recorded losses of more than £40m last year and have a spiralling wage bill. Reading recorded a loss of £40.6m in the financial year ending 2018-19 despite having also sold their training ground, and are running out of assets to cash in as they risk exceeding the league’s £39m three-year loss limit.

At the heart of their problems is a spiralling wage bill which has been funded by Yongge since the Chinese businessman bought Reading in 2017. Their most recent accounts show that player wages are an extraordinary 225 per cent of turnover, a level of spending that is clearly unsustainable. Given Yongge is experiencing difficulties taking money out of China to fund the club, something has to give sooner rather than later.

'A state of utter chaos' - Reading FC fans react as Bowen departs club

Reading fans have been having their say on the news Mark Bowen has departed the club.

The Welshman's exit comes after Veljko Paunovic's official appointment as new boss over the weekend.

Bowen, the former boss, had been expected to revert to a role at boardroom level to work with the Serbian but he has now decided to turn the offer down.

https://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/a-state-utter-chaos-reading-18857501