Opinion: Reading FC must do all they can to secure fresh deal with ex-Premier League player | OneFootball

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Football League World

·19 January 2022

Opinion: Reading FC must do all they can to secure fresh deal with ex-Premier League player

Article image:Opinion: Reading FC must do all they can to secure fresh deal with ex-Premier League player

Andy Carroll is a free agent once more after his short term contract with Reading came to an end.

The former England international is a target of Premier League relegation scrappers Burnley, who recently lost their leading marksman Chris Wood to Newcastle United, according to the Daily Mail.


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Carroll scored twice in six league starts for the Royals this season but most crucially proved that his body can handle regular first team football.

The target man has had a huge influence on games for Reading as the focal point of the attack and has contributed far more to the team than his goalscoring numbers suggest.

With Reading’s inabilities in the transfer market at the moment, they must do all they can to convince Carroll to re-sign for the club in looking to pull away from the relegation zone.

Lucas Joao’s return to fitness cannot be relied upon to fire the Royals up the table in the coming months.

The Portuguese striker has struggled to stay fit for many years now and sadly the reality is that he may not be able to play week in week out in the second half of the season.

Set pieces can have a huge impact on a team’s season, and Reading are notably stronger at both attacking and defensive ones with Andy Carroll in the side.

Veljko Paunovic’s men have a lot of mobile forward players who can profit from the empty spaces created by Carroll occupying defenders, enhancing their offensive play tenfold just with his presence in the final third.

It could get worse before it gets better at the Select Car Leasing Stadium and the senior pros within the squad, of which there are many, are going to be relied upon.

Carroll could be a strong voice within that having battled relegation on multiple occasions in his career.

Quiz: Have each of these 25 ex-Reading FC players ever played in the Premier League?

1 of 25

Article image:Opinion: Reading FC must do all they can to secure fresh deal with ex-Premier League player

Has Nicky Shorey played in the Premier League?

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Reading have gambled where they were better advised not to at times in recent years which has contributed to this mess.

However, the finances involved in offering Carroll a contract until the end of next season, while he is a free agent, will not break the bank when compared to some of the dealings they have carried out since relegation from the Premier League.

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