Reading FC injury blow could impact Norwich City, Blackburn Rovers transfer hopes | OneFootball

An injury to Amadou Mbengue could persuade the Royals to retain Tyler Bindon for the rest of the season.

Reading centre-back Tyler Bindon has been the subject of plenty of interest since he arrived at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

He was first linked with a move away from Berkshire back in September 2023, having done fairly well during the early stages of his time at the club. Arsenal were the team believed to be interested.

Adapting to English football well, the teenager was worthy of this interest, even back then.

But he has taken his game to a new level since then, performing particularly well this season and looking assured at the back, a key reason why the Royals have done so well this season.

Bindon and Amadou Mbengue have formed a brilliant partnership, but it only seems like a matter of time before the former leaves the Berkshire club, considering the potential he has.

At just 19, he has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in League One, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he manages to make the step up to the Championship seamlessly, having done well against Burnley in the FA Cup last weekend.

Amadou Mbengue setback could ruin Norwich City and Blackburn Rovers' transfer hopes

The Royals are suffering cash flow issues and this is why they may need to cash in on players during the January window.

But Bindon's centre-back partner Mbengue is set to be on the sidelines for at least six weeks after sustaining a knee injury against Charlton Athletic.

The Berkshire outfit don't have much centre-back depth after offloading Nelson Abbey, Tom McIntyre and Tom Holmes in recent windows.

Harlee Dean may be able to step up, having played more of a first-team role recently. But behind him, there are quite a few inexperienced youngsters.

With this in mind, Noel Hunt's side could be persuaded to hold on to Bindon for now, as they look to get to the 50-point mark and potentially go further to stave off the threat of relegation in the event of administration.

This would be a blow for the likes of Blackburn Rovers and Norwich City, both of whom have been linked with a move for the New Zealand international in recent weeks.

It's believed scouts from both teams went to see him in action on Boxing Day - and they would have been impressed by his performance.

Rovers could benefit from recruiting a new young central defender, considering Dion Sanderson is only set to be at Ewood Park until the end of the season and the likes of Danny Batth and Kyle McFadzean may not be at the Lancashire club for the long term.

Norwich would also benefit from a player of Bindon's calibre.

In their quest to return to the Premier League, they need players who can grow and potentially be sold on for a hefty amount in the future, to allow them to reinvest a decent amount of money into their squad.

Bindon, therefore, could be a great acquisition.

Other factors may also allow Reading FC to retain Tyler Bindon

There's another key reason why Bindon may stay at the SCL Stadium for the remainder of the campaign.

His contract expires in less than six months - and his agent could potentially be telling the central defender to wait until the summer to make a move - when he may have quite a few offers on the table.

Having a decent number of offers on the table could only be a plus for Bindon, who would have the chance to review these offers before choosing his next destination.

And that's why the possibility of him staying until the end of the season shouldn't be ruled out.

It may actually be fairly difficult for any team to secure his signature before this window's deadline, even though he only has a matter of months left on his contract.