Reading have made some astute signings this summer.
According to a recent report by Here Is The City, Reading are on the verge of agreeing a £1.5 million deal for Coventry City’s highly-rated striker Marc McNulty.
The Sky Blues are said to be ready to reluctantly agree to Reading’s new and improved offer for the player, with McNulty keen on testing himself at Championship level following his 23-goal campaign in League Two.
McNulty would be a smart deal by Reading, and he wouldn’t be the only one made by the Royals this summer with manager Paul Clement already signing Andy Yiadom, David Meyler and John O’Shea on free transfers.
So far, Reading are moulding their squad nicely with cheap but effective signings, a stark contrast to Clement’s previous transfer dealings at Derby County where the club wasted an enormous amount of money.
Clement joined the Rams in the summer of 2015 and was tasked with finally seeing Derby cross the line, and he was heavily backed by owner Mel Morris as the east Midlands club went on a huge summer spending spree.
He seemingly had little plan in place in terms of his signings and went for a scattergun approach, breaking the club’s transfer record with Bradley Johnson and Jacob Butterfield arriving late in the transfer window.
Derby had a squad capable of challenging for promotion anyway, but Clement ruined the balance and unity in the squad by bringing in several high-profile ageing players for big fees and big wages.
Aside from increasing the club’s wage bill to unhealthy levels by signing players on long-term deals, Clement raised the expectations at the club which ultimately backfired with his sacking following a loss of form.
The 46-year-old probably wishes he could go back in time and do things differently, though at Reading he has a second chance and it seems evident he is learning from his former mistakes.
The Royals have made some astute signings so far with very little outlay and adding McNulty to the mix for a lowly fee with little expectation could turn out to be one of the bargains of the summer.
Starting the season as a long-shot for promotion could work in Clement’s favour, and given time he may finally be able to show his qualities as a manager and why he deserves a second shot at the Premier League.
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