Reading FC received a huge boost earlier this week with the news that their prospective takeover from former Wycombe Wanderers chief Rob Couhig had finally been completed.
The takeover alleviates any concerns over the Royals’ future, and has further reinforced the positive feeling at the club heading into the summer transfer window.
Although the Berkshire outfit ultimately narrowly missed out on a play-off place on the final day of the season, it has still been a hugely positive campaign for the club on the pitch.
After a series of transfer embargoes in recent years, the fact that Noel Hunt has been able to lead the third tier’s second-youngest squad, which features several academy graduates, to the fringes of the play-offs is an achievement in itself.
With Reading’s embargo now lifted, there will surely be plenty of incomings at the Select Car Leasing Stadium this summer, as they look to build a team capable of mounting a challenge for promotion next term.
Reading urged to sign Ronan Hale
The Royals are already being linked with new players, despite the current regime still being just a matter of days into their control.
They are currently linked with a move for Ross County frontman Ronan Hale, as per journalist Pete O’Rourke, who has struck 15 goals in all competitions for the Scottish Premiership strugglers.
Hale, who netted a crucial late equaliser from the spot against relegation rivals Dundee on Wednesday night, is also being chased by Luton Town and Wigan Athletic.
We asked FLW’s resident Royals fan pundit, Johnny Hunt, whether he feels signing the Northern Irish striker would be a good move for Reading.
Johnny said: “Hale started with Birmingham before going to Ireland and playing there for quite a long time, and he’s now in Scotland. If he has the kind of mindset that would fit in with what Noel (Hunt) and Brian Carey want, then I’d be all for it.
“He might have a point to prove, having been let go by Birmingham in the past, so I think if we’ve done our homework on him and he fits in with the way we want to do things, then great.
“He can score goals, which is great, and hopefully we’ll be able to keep Jayden Wareham and Kelvin (Ehibhatiomhan) alongside him.
“It’s just great to be able to talk about possible incomings again now, with the embargoes and everything gone.
“It would be kind of a typical Royals signing. It would be a bit left-field and that would be a bit like the old days when we’d go and search different leagues for a player that might work and fit what we want as a team.”
Hale has been in excellent form in recent years
With the numbers that Hale has posted in the last few seasons, it’s little surprise that he is once again being linked with a move to England.
Wigan were among several clubs who were reportedly interested in the striker’s services last summer, and there could be potential for a move south of the border to finally materialise this time around.
The 26-year-old has hit 11 league goals in his first season in Scotland, having moved there on the back of two prolific seasons with Belfast outfit Cliftonville.
| Ronan Hale career stats (as per Fotmob) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Club | Apps | Goals |
| Larne | 80 | 32 |
| Cliftonville | 79 | 50 |
| Ross County | 39 | 15 |
| Derry City (Loan) | 38 | 12 |
| Crusaders | 14 | 3 |
| St Pat’s Athletic | 10 | 2 |
Hale notched 40 goals in all competitions across his two campaigns with the Reds, a tally which stood him as one of the league’s deadliest strikers.
He also had a goal-laden spell with Larne before that, and having now represented clubs in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland, he could finally be ready for a switch to the EFL.
It is often difficult to judge how well a player will adapt when moving to the EFL from elsewhere in the UK, but Hale looks to possess the kind of goalscoring instincts that could make that adaptation a relatively easy one.
It would undoubtedly be a bit of a gamble, given he is a relative unknown, but for Reading, it could be a gamble that is worth taking.
Discussion about this post