The most significant benefit of the January transfer window is this. Four important attacking players for Reading have already won games for the Royals and are capable of doing so in the future: Sam Smith, Harvey Knibbs, Lewis Wing, and Femi Azeez.
Everybody kept put despite the concerns of a mass sell-off that would involve the players mentioned above. Whatever the exact causes of decreased sales, Reading allegedly showed interest in all four of them, and it was imperative that they do so.
The majority of the conjecture on Deadline Day centered on Azeez, who was closely associated with a possible transfer to Plymouth Argyle. To be honest, I experienced a mild panic a few times when I saw conflicting information or rumors that he was headed to the Championship team, but in the end, he remained in place.
Wing, Knibbs, and Smith also left, and to be honest, I’m surprised there wasn’t more rumor about their departure. Wing, in particular, would have been a wise addition for several clubs as he is at least championship-caliber League One player, if not better.
Reading will need to be able to implement their game plan of “keep things tight and then grab a goal or two from a moment of magic” if they want to stay up this season. Naturally, we won’t always be at our best, so we’ll need to be able to rely on our individual talents. Two examples of this are Azeez’s game-winning goal against Exeter City and Wing’s comeback to tie the score against Cheltenham Town.
However, the biggest drawback of the January window is the long-term expense of Reading’s transfer activity. The Royals have primarily capitalized on young, gifted players who have grown in the academy and have long-term promise. Goodbye to Cameron Frederick (16), Taylan Harris (18), Nelson Abbey (20), and Caylan Vickers (19). Despite some similarities, Tom McIntyre (25), and Tom Holmes (23), are not quite in this category due to their greater experience.
In a better world, Abbey, Vickers, and the others could have continued to grow here at least through the end of the current campaign before being traded in the summer for a higher price. Even better, keep them around for a few years and observe how they develop over time at Reading.
Yes, it is rather inevitable that some of the younger players will depart. Reading regularly sells under-18 players to larger teams; two examples of this are Luca Fletcher and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens to Manchester City. Regardless of ownership stability, Reading will find it difficult to hold onto a young player if their value is high enough to draw interest before they establish themselves in the first team.
Furthermore, you can’t hold it against any of them for joining the clubs that they have. Harris is going to Premier League team Luton Town; Frederick is going to Southampton, a team with a top-notch academy; Vickers is going to Brighton & Hove Albion (who have a good record of developing and then selling talent); and Abbey is going to Olympiacos (and possibly Nottingham Forest after that).
Aside from Abbey, Reading’s strength isn’t too much of a short-term knock. Vickers, Harris, and Frederick were likely a season or two away from being able to regularly influence League One games.
