“Somewhat of a gamble” – Reading eye move for 30-year-old amid Sheffield United, Bristol City interest: The verdict | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Championship side Reading are currently monitoring FC Arouca goalkeeper Victor Braga ahead of a potential transfer approach in the summer, as per a report from the Daily Mail.

The 30-year-old has been a regular starter in the Portuguese top tier this term but despite his importance to his current side, his contract at the club expires at the end of the 2021/22 campaign.

This will allow the Royals to make an approach for the Brazilian on a free transfer if he fails to sign a new deal, a potentially shrewd move for the club considering they will be working within a tight budget as part of the business plan they agreed with the EFL last November.

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However, they may face a tussle with second-tier rivals Bristol City and Sheffield United for his signature with both also reported to be in the race for the shot-stopper.

Focusing more on the Berkshire outfit though, would this be a good signing with Orjan Nyland’s contract expiring in the summer?

We asked three of our writers at Football League World for their verdicts.

Charlie Gregory

Reading signing Braga is somewhat of a gamble considering his inexperience in English football, with the player currently plying his trade in Portugal.

The signs are good – he has three clean sheets this year and two saved penalties and at 30-years-old with over 100 competitive games to his belt, he clearly knows what he is doing.

He may turn out to be a really shrewd signing and if the Royals did end up relegated, he would almost definitely be solid enough at League One level.

Obviously, signing a goalkeeper who has played in England before presents less of a risk but if he can be signed on the cheap, then it could be really worth doing business for Braga.

Billy Mulley

Signing a goalkeeper on a permanent deal seems fairly high up on the priority list when it comes to summer recruitment at Reading this season, with Braga certainly representing a risk, but he could be an addition who helps progress the club.

Ultimately, Reading do not know where they will be plying their trade next season, and whilst they possess a five-point gap over Barnsley at present, there is still a lot of football left to play.

Should they suffer relegation, then it may become a lot more difficult to secure the signature of the goalkeeper who will be available for an unexpected bargain, with Bristol City and Sheffield United in pursuit.

Given his experience and record since arriving at Arouca, you would think that the arrival of the Brazilian would be a shrewd bit of business, but of course, things do not work out like they seem on paper.

Adam Jones

Although this could be a shrewd find for the Royals who definitely need to be targeting free agents due to the restrictions they will be working within, tying Nyland down to fresh terms may be a better idea if they have the financial power to do so.

If the Norwegian shot-stopper continues to impress, that will make Paul Ince’s side want to tie him down more desperately, but he may also attract interest from elsewhere and that could mean they find it difficult to hold onto him.

This is why they need to have other options and Braga certainly looks as though he has the pedigree to make the step to Championship football as he continues to be a regular starter in the Portuguese top tier.

And in the Royals’ quest to find bargains, this could be the bargain of the summer if this move proves to be positive. Getting a deal over the line will be the hard part though.