Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Chem Campbell joined Reading FC on a short-term loan until January during the final moments of deadline day, providing much-needed reinforcement after Femi Azeez’s departure.
With Azeez moving to Millwall, finding a replacement became crucial, and Campbell, who has previous experience at this level with Charlton Athletic and Wycombe Wanderers, could be a valuable addition to the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
Reading’s unresolved takeover situation hindered their ability to fully utilize the free agent and loan markets during the summer, a frustrating setback for the club.
While Reading FC can still sign free agents, many of the top options have already been picked up. With that in mind, if the takeover is resolved and they receive clearance to sign new players, they will need to get creative in their approach.
The club ideally needs reinforcements at center-back, left-back, and striker positions, and adding another winger wouldn’t hurt either.
After a frustrating summer transfer window for the League One side, we examine what are likely to be their two biggest transfer regrets.
The Femi Azeez Misunderstanding at Reading FC: What Went Wrong?
When Femi Azeez left for Millwall, Reading FC manager Ruben Selles initially expected the sale to free up resources for a replacement. However, he was left frustrated when an internal misunderstanding meant the winger was sold without any guarantee of securing a replacement.
Fortunately, the EFL approved a short-term loan for Chem Campbell, preventing what could have been a dire situation for the Royals, who already had limited senior options on the wings, even with Campbell’s arrival.
Replacing a player of Azeez’s caliber was always going to be challenging, and the prospect of having no replacement at all would have been disastrous, especially after Azeez’s vital contributions last season.
| Femi Azeez’s 2023/24 campaign at Reading | |
|---|---|
| (All competitions) | |
| Appearances | 52 |
| Goals | 9 |
| Assists | 9 |
The Berkshire club will regret this misunderstanding, because it could have proved to be costly.
Missing out on Fabio Tavares could hurt Reading FC
According to a report from Football Insider, Reading FC made a late attempt to secure a loan deal for Coventry City striker Fabio Tavares on deadline day.
With Brandon Thomas-Asante and Norman Bassette joining Coventry this summer, Tavares might have had the chance to make the switch to the Select Car Leasing Stadium. He could have been a valuable addition for the Royals, as Sam Smith could use more competition in the striker position.
Although Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan and Jayden Wareham can play up front, Ehibhatiomhan has been more effective as a winger, and Wareham lacks senior experience. If Smith were to suffer an injury, Reading could face significant struggles, making Tavares a potentially strong option for their squad.
Unfortunately, the unresolved takeover likely prevented the deal from happening, but missing out on Tavares remains a regret for the club.