Brandon Barker could be on the move again with Championship outfit Reading set to release the former Rangers man just four months after he left the UEFA Europa League finalists, according to Berkshire Live.
With cash-strapped Reading under pressure to reduce their wage bill by an eye-watering £16 million, it makes sense that the Royals are prioritising their star players over a host of seldom-seen fringe men.
If John Swift, Josh Laurent, Tom Holmes and Andy Yiadom belong to the former category – all four have been offered new deals – then Barker certainly belongs to the latter.
The one-time Manchester City youngster only joined Reading in the spring, arriving on a short-term deal after Scottish giants Rangers terminated his contract.
But, after playing just 22 of a potential 1,350 minutes of Championship football, Berkshire Live point out that Barker has very little chance of being offered an extension by a Royals side selling the crown jewels to save the kingdom.
Brandon Barker’s Reading contract expiring
The report claims that former Aston Villa goalkeeper Orjan Nyland – who committed a humiliating mistake to gift a goal to a Robbie Keane-inspired Harry Carnick against Luton Town recently – will also be let go. As will one-time Barcelona and AC Milan whizzkid Alen Halilovic.
A £300,000 signing from Hibernian in the summer of 2019, Barker’s Rangers career never really got going.
The Manchester-born former England U21 international managed just two goals in 16 Scottish Premiership appearances. What’s more, he played just once in the first half of the campaign, against Stirling Albion in the Scottish Cup.
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“We believe in what he can bring to the table,” ex-Reading boss Veljko Paunovic said of Barker in February.
“He is very good one-v-one, he can penetrate the box. He is very good at linking up and he has a very good shot. I think he can bring to the team something that we don’t have.”
Unfortunately for Barker, Paunovic would be handed his P45 just 24 hours later. Writing, meet wall.
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