Double Reading FC blow confirmed - Rob Couhig needs to act ASAP | OneFootball

Rob Couhig will need to act after a double blow that saw Amadou Mbengue and Jayden Wareham leave the club.

Reading FC were dealt a double transfer blow on Thursday, as it was confirmed that both Amadou Mbengue and Jayden Wareham had turned down new contract offers to pursue new opportunities elsewhere.

Popular defender Mbengue has been on the radar of Championship clubs for many weeks now, and was finally snapped up by Queens Park Rangers, who he will officially join on July 1st.

Striker Wareham was tasked with the job of replacing Wrexham-bound Sam Smith in January, but struggled to find the net with just five league goals to his name last term. He opted to join Exeter City, instead of remaining at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

New owner Rob Couhig has been a very busy man since completing a takeover of the Berkshire side, as he tries to unravel the string of issues created by previous owner Dai Yongge.

However, yesterday's news of two player departures has concerned some fans that not enough focus is going into player recruitment, which could come back to bite the Royals next season.

Many supporters predicted interest in some of Reading's star players this summer, following a season where the club massively overachieved on the pitch, given the circumstances off it.

The Royals managed to lock down key players such as Lewis Wing and Joel Pereira to new deals, but weren't as lucky when it came to Mbengue and Wareham, who have departed the club in search of a new opportunity.

Many fans had already resigned to the fact that they would lose the Senegalese defender this summer, as Championship clubs were circling around him. QPR ended up being the ones to secure his services on a free transfer, and despite the arrival of Paudie O'Connor from Lincoln City, it's an exit that will leave a considerable hole that needs filling.

The surprising move came from Wareham though, who turned down a new contract at Reading to instead sign for League One rivals Exeter.

An ex-Chelsea prodigy, the young striker played 37 times in the League for the Royals last season, but has opted for a fresh start in Devon, signing a two-year deal at St. James' Park instead of remaining at the SCL Stadium.

The new area at the Select Car Leasing Stadium is certainly a long-awaited one, but Couhig's won't be forking out ridiculous transfer fees like we've seen in League One in recent years - instead, the American will be trying to get the club to operate sustainably.

There's always concern when departures are announced with no replacement lined up, and it seems that Reading supporters have grown slightly concerned over the lack of transfer activity so far, when rivals have been very busy.

So far, the Royals have signed Paudie O'Connor and Jack Stevens, but were beaten to the signing of Chem Campbell by Stevenage. When you see the business completed by other teams who finished around the Berkshire side last season, the concerns are understandable.

With that in mind, Couhig may have to act quickly to try and secure strong replacements for both outgoing players, as the market has proven to be volatile thus far, and Reading won't want to be left behind by their competitors.

Given that they are a relatively big club for the third tier of English football though, the Royals should have little issue in attracting the right calibre of replacements for Mbengue and Wareham - Couhig though needs to move a bit quicker to appease the fanbase.