Squad for 2025-2026

[Sutekh]

Presuming the Chinese one does actually sell the club at some point before the FL decide to suspend/expulse Reading from the league then the squad as on 1st July 2025 will look something like this

Name (age at end of contract)

Contracted until 2026
Kelvin ABREFA (20)
Ben ELLIOTT (23)
Harvey KNIBBS (27)
Emmanuel OSHO (19)
Lewis WING (31)

Contracted until 2027
Charlie SAVAGE (24)

If you know of anyone contracted beyond this summer not listed above then please list them so we can have a “go to thread” to try and keep on top of all the squad changes etc.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Without speculating on individuals, I think we'll be fine if the takeover happens. Many ooc players would no doubt love to stay and would need the offer of Championship football to move - are any of them good enough for that?

And then Carey and his team will have been preparing for this moment, and the club without Dai is an attractive proposition to players at this level.

We'll go into next season with a decent squad or not go into it at all.

[Snowflake Royal]

Of those out of contract, who would you offer a contract to? For me:

Goalkeeper
Button - no
Boyce-Clarke - no
Norcott - yeah
Rowley - yeah

Fullbacks
Garcia - yes, no brainer, at least 2 years
Rushesha - yeah, squad depth
Yiadom - probably not actually
Clarke - depends on fitness
Ryan - depends on fitness
Osho - yeah

Centrebacks
Mbengue - yes, no brainer, at least 2 years
Dean - no
Dorsett - yeah
Stickland - yeah
Holzman - no
Kanu - yes

Midfield
Craig - hell yes, no brainer, at least 2 years
Senga - yeah
Sackey - probably not
Wellens - no
Carroll - no
Borgnis - yes

Wingers
Ehibhatiomhan - yes
Camara - no
Campbell - no
Akande - yeah
Okine-Peters - maybe
Tuma - maybe
Bodin - no

Strikers
Wareham - yes

[Sutekh]

Of those out of contract, who would you offer a contract to? For me:

Goalkeeper
Button - no
Boyce-Clarke - no
Norcott - yeah
Rowley - yeah

Fullbacks
Garcia - yes, no brainer, at least 2 years
Rushesha - yeah, squad depth
Yiadom - probably not actually
Clarke - depends on fitness
Ryan - depends on fitness
Osho - yeah

Centrebacks
Mbengue - yes, no brainer, at least 2 years
Dean - no
Dorsett - yeah
Stickland - yeah
Holzman - no
Kanu - yes

Midfield
Craig - hell yes, no brainer, at least 2 years
Senga - yeah
Sackey - probably not
Wellens - no
Carroll - no
Borgnis - yes

Wingers
Ehibhatiomhan - yes
Camara - no
Campbell - no
Akande - yeah
Okine-Peters - maybe
Tuma - maybe
Bodin - no

Strikers
Wareham - yes

Keeper
Pereira - yes, no brainer for any fan.

[dontbedaft]

SR + Sutekh's suggestions sound sensible to me. Sadly, I expect Mbengue to have other offers so not accept our offer, but we should certainly try. While with so much immediate activity it might be natural to defer it but I think we should also consider extending contracts with improved terms for those like Knibbs who expire in 26. Otherwise we'll have issues in January...

[mumbo-jumbo]

is Pereira OOC ? And do we think he'd stay if he is? It really does feel as though we'd be bumbling along the bottom somewhere without him for this second half of the season

[WestYorksRoyal]

is Pereira OOC ? And do we think he'd stay if he is? It really does feel as though we'd be bumbling along the bottom somewhere without him for this second half of the season

Value of being a no.1 is big for a keeper, especially one like Pereira who has spent his career as 2nd or 3rd choice.

Can a Championship club offer him a realistic chance of being 1st choice? Would surely be a lower side. He's probably better than any we had in our last 2 Championship seasons.

Agree with the above comment that Mbengue is the most likely to get a good Championship offer, and it's not impossible for Pereira. For the rest, we're the best offer they'll get.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Its likely a number of the players promoted from the academy this season we have options to extend.

[Snowflake Royal]

Its likely a number of the players promoted from the academy this season we have options to extend.

But how many are close to ready?

Most of the ones actually playing aren't there yet

[From Despair To Where?]

I would be tempted to offer Dean a 1 year contract with a coaching role. I know there were issues last year but he seems to have turned a corner and given Binden and possibly Mbengue won't be here next season, I think his experience could have some value.

[Snowflake Royal]

I would be tempted to offer Dean a 1 year contract with a coaching role. I know there were issues last year but he seems to have turned a corner and given Binden and possibly Mbengue won't be here next season, I think his experience could have some value.

Definitely something to consider, depending on who we can line up to bring in (should we survive).

[under the tin]

Of those out of contract, who would you offer a contract to? For me:

Goalkeeper
Button - no
Boyce-Clarke - no
Norcott - yeah
Rowley - yeah

Fullbacks
Garcia - yes, no brainer, at least 2 years
Rushesha - yeah, squad depth
Yiadom - probably not actually
Clarke - depends on fitness
Ryan - depends on fitness
Osho - yeah

Centrebacks
Mbengue - yes, no brainer, at least 2 years
Dean - no
Dorsett - yeah
Stickland - yeah
Holzman - no
Kanu - yes

Midfield
Craig - hell yes, no brainer, at least 2 years
Senga - yeah
Sackey - probably not
Wellens - no
Carroll - no
Borgnis - yes

Wingers
Ehibhatiomhan - yes
Camara - no
Campbell - no
Akande - yeah
Okine-Peters - maybe
Tuma - maybe
Bodin - no

Strikers
Wareham - yes

Keeper
Pereira - yes, no brainer for any fan.

Total agreement with all of the above.
Bindon won't be here, so should Mbengue be tempted elsewhere, I hope the club's little black book still has the numbers of the likes of Abbey or Holmes.
We desperately need more firepower up top.

[morganb]

This seems to happen a lot with Reading supporters but why, when we need a new player, do people automatically suggest a player we've had before and let go? Do we really want Holmes back (rather than looking at all available CBs and picking the best fit?)

[Snowflake Royal]

This seems to happen a lot with Reading supporters but why, when we need a new player, do people automatically suggest a player we've had before and let go? Do we really want Holmes back (rather than looking at all available CBs and picking the best fit?)

Well they're players we know well, and most of us aren’t scouts.

[Carnabyswhiskers]

Apologies if this has already been covered and is known by everyone but me, but to what extent are we permitted to recruit this summer (assuming takeover goes ahead)? Are we free of the embargoes placed on us following the multiple different failures of Dai to follow regulations? Are we allowed now to pay fees for players? Use agents?

[Sutekh]

Apologies if this has already been covered and is known by everyone but me, but to what extent are we permitted to recruit this summer (assuming takeover goes ahead)? Are we free of the embargoes placed on us following the multiple different failures of Dai to follow regulations? Are we allowed now to pay fees for players? Use agents?

According to the FL website there is only one club currently under an embargo - Oxford United for breach of Regulation 16.11 Interim Accounts & Regulation 16.16 Future Financial Information - therefore it would appear Reading should be free to trade just as any other club in the league can though the FL may well take a long hard look at any deals that the club should propose.

However if the 30th June comes round and the club is late filing its accounts again it’ll be put under another embargo. Therefore the priority for the new owner (should there ever be one) is to ensure the accounts for 2023-2024 are published on time.

[Carnabyswhiskers]

Apologies if this has already been covered and is known by everyone but me, but to what extent are we permitted to recruit this summer (assuming takeover goes ahead)? Are we free of the embargoes placed on us following the multiple different failures of Dai to follow regulations? Are we allowed now to pay fees for players? Use agents?

According to the FL website there is only one club currently under an embargo - Oxford United for breach of Regulation 16.11 Interim Accounts & Regulation 16.16 Future Financial Information - therefore it would appear Reading should be free to trade just as any other club in the league can though the FL may well take a long hard look at any deals that the club should propose.

However if the 30th June comes round and the club is late filing its accounts again it’ll be put under another embargo. Therefore the priority for the new owner (should there ever be one) is to ensure the accounts for 2023-2024 are published on time.

Thanks. If we survive that far, hearing that we have actually paid a fee to buy a footballer again is going to take some adjusting to.

[Snowflake Royal]

Theoretical... you're Rob Couhig and you successfully buy Reading FC. Reading miss the POs, Hull get relegated and sack Selles.

Selles was in charge when you originally tried to buy the club... would you try to bring him back, stick with Hunt, try to bring in a statement quality manager, or go batshit crazy to boost the club profile and appoint Wayne Rooney.

[Vision]

Theoretical... you're Rob Couhig and you successfully buy Reading FC. Reading miss the POs, Hull get relegated and sack Selles.

Selles was in charge when you originally tried to buy the club... would you try to bring him back, stick with Hunt, try to bring in a statement quality manager, or go batshit crazy to boost the club profile and appoint Wayne Rooney.

Can't get rid of the feeling of dread I had at the Blackpool game last year when I saw potential DOF Joe Jacobsen palling up with Lee oxf*rd Johnson.

[Taffster]

Looking at that squad list I actually think we are more in danger of relegation next season than the last 2.

Building a squad and having Gel is going to be a hell of a job regardless of a takeover or not.