2025 signing could be facing Wycombe Wanderers axe as Reading FC offer mooted | OneFootball

Will Norris could face the axe at Wycombe Wanderers, as a move for Reading's Joel Pereira shows the Chairboys are seeking a new number one goalkeeper.

Will Norris’ future at Wycombe Wanderers might be up in the air after news broke that the Chairboys had offered a contract to Reading FC goalkeeper Joel Pereira.

Norris joined Wycombe on deadline day in February 2025, having left Portsmouth earlier that day on a free transfer, allowing him to complete his move to South Buckinghamshire to join the club’s push for promotion.

The former Burnley goalkeeper was the undisputed number one for the second-half of the season, replacing Franco Ravizzoli, who would’ve felt rather hard done by given the club’s excellent record when the Argentine took the gloves.

However, Norris struggled to find consistency for the Chairboys. Some excellent performances have been overshadowed by some howlers. It’s clear to see that the experienced goalkeeper is struggling to settle in at Adams Park, and he’s failed to build a positive relationship with the supporters.

Now with the latest news that Wycombe have sent a contract proposal to Reading keeper Pereira, it looks like Norris could be facing the axe after just a few months as first-choice in HP12, despite being under contract for the 2025/26 season.

Will Norris’ struggles at Wycombe Wanderers so far

Despite being in the automatic promotion places at the start of the month, January saw wholesale changes at Adams Park, which were kicked off by the departure of popular manager Matt Bloomfield to Luton Town, meaning Wanderers would go the rest of the transfer window managerless.

Ten senior players were brought in during the window, with eight of those joining the club in the transition period between Bloomfield’s departure and Mike Dodds’ arrival. One of those who joined Wycombe late in the window was Norris, who arrived on deadline day from Portsmouth.

Some supporters were left slightly confused as to why Wycombe wanted to change their goalkeeper mid-season after an outstanding campaign thus far. Ravizzoli had his flaws, but ultimately performed to the level required to keep his side in the promotion hunt.

However, Norris would feature in every single game for the Chairboys under Dodds apart from the play-off semi-final second leg, which he missed due to illness. In his 17 matches in League One, the 31-year-old conceded 15 goals and kept eight clean sheets, including a further one in the play-offs to take his total to nine, which was quite impressive on paper.

Despite this, Norris’ performances were often shaky. His distribution was very inconsistent, which left supporters frustrated at the amount of long balls forward that didn’t hit their intended target. The style of football being enforced by Dodds clearly did not suit the former Wolves man’s skillset.

The moment that really changed things for the experienced keeper came in a 4-0 defeat at home to Charlton. Norris slipped from a routine pass back to him, allowing Matty Godden to score, putting the Addicks out of sight in a match crucial for Wycombe’s promotion hopes. This further frustrated supporters, who’d lost confidence in their new goalkeeper.

It was clear to see by the end of the season that Norris wasn’t as happy as he could’ve been. There was no rapport between the shot-stopper and his new supporters, as he was even seen heading straight down the tunnel after the Charlton match on Easter Monday.

Many were left unsure if Norris would remain at the club in the summer, as the length of the former Pompey star’s contract at Adams Park wasn’t disclosed. However, it was later confirmed that the number 50 was under contract for the 2025/26 season.

Fans would expect him to remain as first-choice next season, but the latest reports suggest this might not be the case. It was revealed in early June by The Mirror that Wycombe had offered a contract to former Manchester United goalkeeper Pereira, who is out of contract at Reading.

The 28-year-old is the clear number one at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, playing 40 times in League One last season, and ranking among some of the best in the division in terms of shot-stopping stats. With that in mind, Pereira certainly wouldn’t want to join a club on a par with his current side as a backup.

Whilst it looks unlikely that Wanderers will land the signing of Pereira, with Hull City also chasing the man lovingly known as ‘El Gato’, and a cryptic message posted on Lewis Wing’s Instagram story which was seemingly hinting at a new deal for the Portuguese man, it at least shows Wycombe’s intentions in the market to sign a new first-choice goalkeeper.

With that in mind, it looks like Norris’ time at Adams Park could come to an abrupt end. The 31-year-old won’t settle to play second-fiddle to anyone Wanderers bring in, and both the club and the player could be keen to write this chapter off as one that didn’t work out.