News and Views
New Contracts Offered As Players Depart
11 May 2024
By Hob Nob Anyone?
Reading have confirmed players that will be leaving this summer as contracts expire and loan spells finish. Thankfully the departures are not as dramatic as recent seasons and the Royals will be hoping to hang on to key players when transfers get underway pre-season. There is also some good news with players who were out of contract having one year extensions activated to keep them at the club.
Nesta Guinness-Walker, Matty Carson, Sam Hutchinson and Clinton Mola are all set to leave the club as their contracts expire. Nesta Guinness-Walker was once a first choice player in the starting eleven but fell out of favour after Reading's poor start to the season and found himself out on loan at Stevenage. At Stevenage he found himself playing more from the bench but did notch up 14 league appearances. Clinton Mola spent just one season with the Royals and has not been offered a new contract. At 34 years old Sam Hutchinson was the experience in a very young Reading squad this season but failed to make an appearance since December last year.
Tom Holmes, Dom Ballard, Zane Monlouis and Paul Mukairu will all return to their parent clubs after their loan spells at Reading expire. It will feel strange to see defender Tom Holmes depart as he has not felt like a loan player after his mid-season transfer to Luton Town. Holmes immediately returned to the club he had spent his entire football career at on-loan, and was clearly emotional to finally wrap up his time at Reading during the lap of honour after Reading's final home game of the season against Blackpool. Paul Mukairu showed great promise but will return to Copenhagan after scoring six goals in all competitions for the Royals and making 38 appearances.
Topping the list of players who will sign-on for an additional year is Femi Azeez who hit great form in the second half of the season. It is a shame that longer contracts could not be offered to prevent these players leaving in a years time. Hopefully the Royals will have an impressive season next term, and perhaps a promotion push. That would be of course be fantastic for the club but could see another whole set of young players out of contract and out of the club to "bigger clubs" with no income for the Royals. We can only hope that new owners are able to extend contracts througout the new season. One year extensions have gone to Femi Azeez, Kelvin Ehibatiomhan, Joel Pereira, Michael Craig, Jeriel Dorsett, and Jayden Wareham. Twenty-seven year old Joel Pereira has impressed after becoming Reading's first choice in goal, so it is excellent news to see him retained. Kelvin Abrefa and Tivonge Rushesha have also been offered new contracts that will hopefully seem them stay in Berkshire.
Discussion On This Story:
Stranded
1 year options activated by the club for:
Femi Azeez
Michael Craig
Jeriel Dorsett
Kelvin Ehibatiomhan
Joel Pereira
Jayden Wareham
Contracts offered to Abrefa and Rushesha
Released
Matty Carson
Nesta Guiness-Walker
Sam Hutchinson
Clinton Mola
Mola going is a little surprising and with Carson off as well, looks like we may have identified a LB option or 2 we want to bring in.
yuomi
Keeping Azeez is a great, even if it means someone'll have to pay a fee for him this summer. Still think the likes of Bolton and Plymouth will be circling.
All in all, could have been a lot worse. The core of an improving team stays and if we can recruit/promote from within in the same vein we did last year there's a lot to be excited about.
WestYorksRoyal
I can understand the Mola decision. He improved greatly this season, but we really need a specialist LB. Mola offered little going forward and a L1 squad option is probably about his level. Add in that we have Dorsett who can also act as a versatile LB/CB plus Abrefa and Yiadom who can cover, maybe we decided we didn't need another squad option there. So makes sense if a specialist LB is incoming. And while it's harsh, the opportunity we gave him this season will ensure he finds another club.
Panas
Carson realistically needs longer to develop at this level than we can afford to give him.
South Coast Royal
I guess , as posted elsewhere, the deal for Azeez is so that we get a fee when he goes.
Last season the club did really well in bringing in the likes of Wing and Bindon in particular plus Smith and Knibbs.
We really need similar rabbits from the hat this close season (although we will still be very restricted) and if so, who knows we might even be able to make a top 6 challenge especially if we can keep Wing and Bindon.
Despite his popularity around the team and his undoubted commitment I'm not convinced by Mbengue as an orthodox centre-back and would like to see another Morrison type, something that we hoped we had got with Dean.
I gather a left back has been lined up.
Hound
Good news on the other extensions, happy with all of those. Not convinced Azeez will go anywhere
Snowflake Royal
Surprised by Carson and Mola going and both Rushesha and Abrefa getting offers.
Whilst I think we all wanted Carson to step up, I'm not convinced he has the mental strength so not upset. Mola does seem harsh, and leaves us light, but with Dorsett and Ryan to cover, hopefully we have a top class target to go for.
Stranded
I guess us taking the option on Azeez doesn't mean he isn't off but we can get a few hundred grand if he does go whilst at worst giving us a season to try and get up to persuade him to hang around.
Surprised by Rushesha as he hasn't really played too much either in the first team or u21s but they must see something they like.
Seems Ryan is highly rated, so I assume we will go into the next season with him as an option behind a more experienced starter.
andrew1957
Like others - a tad surprised Mola is off and yet Rushesha (who has hardly featured) might be staying. Mola looked awful to start with but improved steadily. Carson was the reverse - a great start but tailed off and with other young left backs in the U21s, I guess he wouldn't have got much game time next season. Does make you think we are going to bring in another LB though, unless Dorsett is seen as nailed on first choice now. I do hope Mola and Carson can find other clubs. Good luck to them.
Feel a bit sad for Guinness-Walker. I always quite liked him, but for whatever reason he fell completely out of favour and Hutchinson is no surprise at all.
super darren caskey
I feel its our loss to be honest but i know most people will feel different
Clyde1998
Matty Carson isn't too much of a surprise. He won't be able to play in the U21s next season (IIRC) and really needs first team football to develop as a player. Hopefully he gets a deal at a club at a decent level.
Pleasantly surprised we had a one year option on Femi Azeez and Michael Craig. That means we've basically retained everyone from the first team squad who wasn't on loan - a very good sign ahead of the transfer window.
So our starting squad will be:
Goalkeepers
- Andresson, Jokull
- Bouzanis, Dean
- Button, David
- Pereira, Joel
- Abrefa, Kelvin (subject to signing the new contract)
- Yiadom, Andy
- Bindon, Tyler
- Dorsett, Jeriel
- Dean, Harlee
- Mbengue, Amadou
- Craig, Michael
- Rushesha, Tivonge (subject to signing the new contract)
- Savage, Charlie
- Wing, Lewis
- Camara, Mamadi
- Elliott, Ben
- Knibbs, Harvey
- Ehibatiomhan, Kelvin
- Smith, Sam
- Wareham, Jayden
WestYorksRoyal
Aren't we still under an embargo for the next 2 transfer windows?
If so , it will just be freebies and loans and at least last season's acquisitions show what can be done but seeing the numbers retained we might not be doing too much business regardless of the ownership.
In L1, there is loads of good business to be done on frees and loans. When we can spend fees again in summer 2025, I hope we are very sparing with them. It can make a difference; Aaron Collins was a great mid season signing for Bolton. But we can build the foundations and structure on a free; perhaps just a few fees needed to finish the roof and windows.
Clyde1998
Aren't we still under an embargo for the next 2 transfer windows?
If so , it will just be freebies and loans and at least last season's acquisitions show what can be done but seeing the numbers retained we might not be doing too much business regardless of the ownership.
In L1, there is loads of good business to be done on frees and loans. When we can spend fees again in summer 2025, I hope we are very sparing with them. It can make a difference; Aaron Collins was a great mid season signing for Bolton. But we can build the foundations and structure on a free; perhaps just a few fees needed to finish the roof and windows.
It's very rare a League One club actually signs a player for a transfer fee anyway.
We got some very good League One players for free last summer - Lewis Wing; Sam Smith; Harvey Knibbs all spring to mind. I imagine we'll be able to do good business again from the free market. We'll also be the only League One club next season with a Category One academy.
I think the analogy works well and often clubs can get out of League One with just the foundations, before fitting the roof and windows once they're in the Championship.
South Coast Royal
In L1, there is loads of good business to be done on frees and loans. When we can spend fees again in summer 2025, I hope we are very sparing with them. It can make a difference; Aaron Collins was a great mid season signing for Bolton. But we can build the foundations and structure on a free; perhaps just a few fees needed to finish the roof and windows.
It's very rare a League One club actually signs a player for a transfer fee anyway.
We got some very good League One players for free last summer - Lewis Wing; Sam Smith; Harvey Knibbs all spring to mind. I imagine we'll be able to do good business again from the free market. We'll also be the only League One club next season with a Category One academy.
I think the analogy works well and often clubs can get out of League One with just the foundations, before fitting the roof and windows once they're in the Championship.
We may have that Academy but it might take some persuading of players to join what externally has been a basket case of a club.
Share this article: