Burns joins Reading on loan | OneFootball

City Elite Development Squad defender Finley Burns has joined League One outfit Reading on a season-long loan.

The 22-year-old will join the Royals ahead of the 2025/26 campaign as they look to build on a seventh-placed finish last season.

Having joined City’s Academy from Southend United at 13 years old, Burns signed his first professional contract in July 2020 and then went on to help our EDS claim the Premier League 2 title the following season.

Burns was later rewarded with his senior debut under Pep Guardiola in September 2021 when he featured for the entirety of City’s 6-1 win over Wycombe Wanderers in the third round of the EFL Cup.

The defender then enjoyed his first taste of senior league football during a brief stint at Swansea City, before season-long spells at Stevenage Borough and Hull City.

For Stevenage, Burns was an instrumental figure in League One, featuring 43 times as he helped them record the fourth-best defensive record in the division in 2023/24.

Those exploits saw him step up to the Championship with Hull last year, but injury limited him to just 11 appearances in all competitions for the Tigers.

Now, Burns has his sights set on helping Reading push for promotion, having missed out on the League One play-offs by three points in 2024/25.

Everyone at Manchester City would like to wish Finley the best of luck on his loan move to Reading.