What Do Reading Need In The January 2026 Transfer Window?

Reading had a pretty good summer 2025 transfer window, the first major step of our post-Dai Yongge reboot. Although some recruitment problems were clear back then – not getting in a target man and generally having to wait too long for business to be done – the Royals still ended up with a squad capable on paper of competing in the top six.

For a long while, that didn’t seem the case. Reading had a very slow start to the season: not dreadful, but struggling to click into gear, with Noel Hunt removed as first-team manager in October. Successor Leam Richardson didn’t prompt an immediate drastic improvement, but in recent weeks, the Royals have had started to get going and push up the table.

So much so that recent results prompted a mini rewrite of this article, which I started before the Peterborough United away match. Back then, my assumption was that Reading would be a League One side in 2026/27 and should therefore use January 2026 business to plan accordingly (ie for the long term).

Now, while momentum could stall, a strong run of festive results means promotion is on the cards – even if it’s still an outside chance. Therefore, the focus has shifted towards signings who can make a short-term impact.

Below I’ve outlined how I’d approach the January transfer window if I were in charge. I’ve picked out my main priorities, gone into the need to get young players out on loan and looked at who might leave permanently (which, fortunately, feels like more of an afterthought this year).

What does the squad look like at the moment?

Reading have done two bits of business so far: sending Matty Jacob back to parent club Hull City and whacking another 18 months onto Randell Williams’ deal, which had been due to expire this month. Rumours of Finley Burns being recalled by Manchester City are, thankfully, yet to come to fruition.

It’s also worth running through the absentee list. Derrick Williams, John Ryan, Ben Elliott and Paddy Lane have been on the sidelines recently and it’s unclear when they’ll be back. In addition, Andy Rinomhota had gone to AFCON with Zimbabwe but withdrew from the squad due to an “urgent family matter” before Christmas and is yet to return to club action.

There are other players who’ve appeared for the first team but have since headed out on loan in search of regular football. Abraham Kanu is getting game time at Forest Green Rovers for the full duration of 2025/26, while fellow centre-back Jacob Borgnis has been joined at Slough Town by forward Basil Tuma – both of whom are there on short-term deals. In addition, Joe Barough has headed to Basingstoke Town.

Overall, the squad looks something like this:

Side note: for more on those players out of contract at the end of this season (the ones with ‘+1’ next to their names in that graphic), take a look at Alex’s recent piece.

Reading are allowed a total of 22 players in their squad, to be submitted at the end of the transfer window, excluding under-21s and goalkeepers. That stood at 19 as of the end of the summer window, went up to 21 with the additions of Andy Rinomhota and Randell Williams, but dropped to 20 with Jacob’s return to Hull City. The club have also used up three of their five loan slots by bringing in Burns, Kamari Doyle and Mark O’Mahony.

What are the priority areas to address?

If I could only sign two players for Reading in January, they’d be a striker and a left-back.

Reading have struggled for goals and all-round presence in the final third in the absence of Jack Marriott, so getting in someone else (ideally a target man) would make sense. First-team-quality strikers are expensive and hard to come by even in the summer, so I’d be happy if we found ourselves a solid back-up.

That’s likely to mean a loan deal. O’Mahony will probably be sent back to Brighton & Hove Albion, having struggled for form, so it’s in everyone’s interests that he tries his luck elsewhere. As we saw with the addition of Marriott in the summer, it could well be the case that Reading hold on until the later stages of the window to see who becomes available.

As for the left-back, depth here is a must, with Jacob and Ryan out of contention. It’ll be interesting though to see what kind of player Reading prioritise, with Leam Richardson’s 3-2-4-1 formation (when in possession) requiring one full-back to sit deep as a third centre-back and the other to push on as a wing-back. Given Jeriel Dorsett isn’t really suited to an attacking role, getting in a more offensively minded left-back might be a good idea.

While I’d be happy with a loan deal here (one out, one in, essentially), I’d prefer a longer-term permanent signing. Left-back has been a problem position for Reading for a long time, so if we can break that cycle – even if it means getting a talented but less experienced option who can develop in the coming half a season – it’d be worthwhile.

Anything else?

It would also make sense to reinforce at centre-back. In theory Reading are fine here: two experienced options in Paudie O’Connor and Derrick Williams, backed up by Burns, Michael Stickland and Dorsett. However, one big injury suddenly makes that depth look worryingly thin.

We saw it when O’Connor was unavailable earlier in the season and the same is the case with Williams out. Though Burns has deputised well recently, current bench option Stickland hasn’t been quite so convincing in League One.

Some short-term, reliable cover to last the duration of this season would be a wise addition. I’m less concerned about their long-term potential or even them being able to compete convincingly with others higher up the pecking order – Reading just need to remove the anxiety of being short on dependable centre-back options.

As an added bonus I’d like some more quality out wide, where Reading have lacked consistency this season. This would very much be a lower priority than the other additions mentioned higher up though and only worth doing if the new player is an immediate improvement on who we’ve got. Paddy Lane returning from injury and getting into form would also make this irrelevant, although when he’ll be back is anyone’s guess.

The profile of winger is an important consideration in Richardson’s system: would he want a quick, direct dribbler who stays wide or someone who tucks infield as an extra 10? With Kyerewaa and Randell Williams currently in the former section, I’d go for the latter: more creative and better in tight spaces. Given the need for quality in this signing, I’ve no preference on them being a loanee or permanent.

Let’s get players out on loan

On a completely different note, it’d be worth handing loan opportunities to a number of younger players.

Too often in recent years we’ve seen academy talent develop well further down the chain, only to then struggle to make an impact at first-team level due to a lack of the right kind of experience. Loaning out youngsters is a great way of getting them used to the psychological and physical requirements of men’s football, even if those loans come a few tiers down the pyramid, even if they’re only a shorter-term arrangement.

Besides the aforementioned Kanu, Borgnis, Tuma and Barough, Reading have also loaned out goalkeepers Tom Norcott (Enfield Town) and Matthew Rowley (Hampton & Richmond Borough), midfielder Carter Bowdery (Hungerford Town) and forward Miles Obodo (Chichester City).

The same should be done for more players. I’d have put Ryan in this category before his serious-looking injury in December, but others on my list of potential loan departures would be Ashqar Ahmed, Stickland (pending the signing of another centre-back), Tivonge Rushesha, Tyler Sackey, Shay Spencer, Mamadi Camara, Andre Garcia and Sean Patton (pending the signing of another striker).

Of course, you wouldn’t want all of those players to go out (we do need to field an under-21s side!) and some are higher priorities for development than others, depending on whether they’re in the club’s plans beyond this season.

Who else could leave?

Earlier in the season we might have also considered sending Burns and/or Doyle back in January, but both have developed well in recent weeks and will hopefully be staying put.

I don’t see Reading needing to raise funds through sales, especially as money is due for some players who’ve already left (under Salary Cost Management Protocol rules, Reading can’t spend this outstanding cash until it’s arrived).

The Royals couldn’t agree on an amount of compensation for Amadou Mbengue with QPR so that’s gone to arbitration, and not all of Charlton Athletic’s undisclosed fee for Harvey Knibbs was paid in the summer.

If the Royals do let anyone go permanently this month, I could see that including some younger players who’ve failed to make an impact at first-team level, for example Rushesha and Camara. As for seniors, Elliott may be deemed surplus to requirements when he returns from injury, while Charlie Savage and Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan are more sellable assets (but I don’t think Reading would let either go).

So in summary…

• Jacob’s gone, so replace him with a permanent addition at left-back
• Sign a dependable centre-back to cover for the rest of this season
• Bring in a quality winger if one is available
• Send O’Mahony back to Brighton
• Find a target man to cover for Marriott
• Loan out Ahmed, Garcia and hopefully some others
• Get promoted