Reading FC will undoubtedly be on the lookout in the free agents market this summer to bolster their squad.
The Royals will once again be under a transfer embargo that will see their activity limited after they broke EFL profit and sustainability rules.
With that in mind, Paul Ince and his newly appointed recruitment team of former manager Mark Bowen, who is now Head of Football Operations, and Brian Carey, who joined as Reading’s new Head of Recruitment from Tottenham Hotspur are likely to have their eye on the players being released by their clubs this summer.
Here are six players from the Championship that the Royals may look to to add to their ranks in the coming months.
Michael Hector
This signing could make sense on a few fronts given that Hector knows the club well having progressed through the Reading academy.
Hector joined the Royals academy in 2009 and made his Championship debut in 2014 in a 7-1 win over Bolton Wanderers.
He went on to make 54 league appearances for Reading before securing a lucrative move to Chelsea in the summer of 2015.
Having never made a single appearance for Chelsea in a spell that saw him shipped out on loan to three different clubs, he joined Fulham on a permanent basis in 2019.
Hector turned out 19 times in the league for Fulham before being released at the end of the 2021/22 season.
Andy Carroll
Having had a successful, albeit very short spell with Reading earlier in the year, Carroll will be on the lookout for a new club after being released by West Bromwich Albion.
Carroll was signed by Veljko Paunovic on a short term deal in November.
Despite only making eight league appearances, the Royals fans were smitten with the striker after his impressive performances which saw him score twice and make a significant contribution.
The former England international joined West Brom for the remainder of the campaign after his deal with Reading expired where he scored three times in 14 matches.
Alex Smithies
Reading are likely to be on the hunt for a new keeper in the summer and Smithies may be on their radar after being released by Cardiff City.
The number one position is certainly up for grabs after Luke Southwood failed to cement his spot earlier in the season before Orjan Nyland arrived on a free transfer for the final chapter of the campaign.
However, it looks unlikely that Nyland will be offered a new deal.
The 32-year-old shot stopper has a wealth of experience at Championship level having made 334 league appearances across his time at Huddersfield Town, Queens Park Rangers and Cardiff.
Romaine Sawyers
His release from West Brom came to a surprise to many after Albion opted against activating a one-year extension in his contract.
The midfielder has shown his class at Championship level which saw him play a pivotal part in Brentford’s success where he scored six times in 127 league appearances in three seasons with the Bees.
His homecoming to West Brom saw him make 42 Championship appearances in his first season, before playing 19 times in the Premier League the following season.
The 30-year-old was sent out on loan to Stoke City for the 2021/22 campaign where he scored twice in 25 games.
Scott Sinclair
A name that will haunt Reading fans after his hat-trick in the 2011 play-off final, but he could be a useful option to sign this summer.
The winger has significant experience and could be a smart short term option having left Preston North End.
The 33-year-old endured a difficult campaign last year with Preston where he didn’t find the net in 23 games, but he did net nine times in 37 games in the 2020/21 campaign.
