Update emerges on 34-year-old’s future at Reading FC | OneFootball

Championship outfit Reading are interested in offering Michael Morrison a new deal but are yet to table a formal offer to the centre-back, as per an update from Berkshire Live.

The 34-year-old was a regular for the Royals during the second half of the season after recovering from a severe knee injury, but was unable to tighten up their defence following a dreadful winter period before his return.

Keeping just two clean sheets between the time he returned and the end of the campaign, he will be worried about his future at the Select Car Leasing Stadium with his current deal expiring in the summer.

Quiz: Can you name which club Reading FC sold these 23 players to from the last decade?

1 of 23

Michael Olise?

Brighton Crystal Palace Fulham West Ham

Scott Dann has already put pen to paper on a one-year extension to keep him in Berkshire until 2023 and Tom McIntyre is tied down for the long term – but Tom Holmes, Terrell Thomas and Jeriel Dorsett are all out of contract this summer – potentially leaving them light in defensive options.

The second-tier side have decided to offer Holmes and Dorsett new contracts, though Thomas’ future looks bleak at this stage with Berkshire Live reporting that the ex-AFC Wimbledon centre-back is likely to be let go.

One man that could stay is Morrison though, with officials at the Select Car Leasing Stadium weighing up whether to offer him fresh terms ahead of the retained list being published, a list that is expected to be released imminently.

The Verdict:

Whether it was his injury or not remains to be seen, but Morrison did look slower than he once was and this is a major shame because he was a decent asset to have during the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons, proving to be one of the Royals’ better signings in recent years.

Pre-injury Morrison would have made a real impact on his return – but the fact he looked off the pace means he probably hasn’t done enough to earn himself a new deal and this is why they should look to move him into a coaching role instead.

Looking at the bigger picture too, the Berkshire outfit had the joint-worst defensive record in the second tier during 2021/22 and with that, something clearly needs to change.

Dann will be an experienced presence at the heart of the defence and may even take the captaincy if he’s up to the challenge of leading the team next season, with Andy Yiadom also a potential candidate after previously taking the skipper’s armband at Barnsley.

With the former already tied down to a new deal and the latter closing in on an agreement with the club, that could make Morrison surplus to requirements as long as they are able to bring in at least one or two centre-backs to replace him.