Reading FC must not replicate 28-cap international move in January | OneFootball

Ayub Masika didn't turn out to be a good signing for the Royals during the 2020 January window.

After a few years of big spending, Reading didn't have a huge amount left to fork out on players during the 2020 January transfer window.

But with the Royals making quite a few additions during the previous window, it wouldn't have been a wise decision for them to have made several more additions, even though things hadn't gone to plan for them during the first half of the 2019/20 season.

In the end, the Berkshire outfit made just two additions during the January window in 2020 - and looking back - it wasn't a successful period for them in the transfer market at all.

Felipe Araruna joined the club on a permanent deal and could have been a decent option to have in central midfield and as a right-back.

But unfortunately, he spent the vast majority of his time at the Select Car Leasing Stadium on the sidelines. After returning from a long-term injury against Kidderminster Harriers, he broke down just seconds after coming on, and that proved to be his last time on the pitch in a Royals shirt.

Both the club and the player will be gutted that this move didn't work out for the best in the end.

Ayub Masika's time at Reading FC was an unsuccessful period

The other addition of the January 2020 window was Ayub Masika, who joined on loan from Beijing Renhe.

The Chinese club, who are no longer in business, was owned by current Royals owner Dai Yongge and it was unclear whether the Kenyan winger was going to make any form of impact in Berkshire.

Unfortunately, he was unable to impact the Berkshire side at all, though the Covid-19 pandemic didn't exactly help his cause.

With the pandemic hitting in the middle of his loan spell, it would have been a difficult time for Masika in isolation, in a country he hadn't played in before.

He didn't start a single game for the Royals either, which made it difficult for him to impact games.

With this in mind, and the pandemic, it's perhaps unfair to judge him too harshly, and it would have been interesting to see how he had got on if more factors had worked in his favour.

But that still doesn't prevent this addition from being classed as an unsuccessful one, at a time when Mark Bowen's side needed someone to come in and make a decent impact.

At the time of writing, the Royals are currently preparing for the January transfer window.

In the absence of a takeover, cash flow challenges remain present at the SCL Stadium, and another January fire sale can't be ruled out if a sale isn't completed by the start of 2025.

If there is a firesale, anyone who comes in will need to make a big impact to replace those who departed.

Zane Monlouis was unable to do this after his loan switch from Arsenal last year, but the Royals had more senior squad depth during the second half of last season than they currently do now.

This makes it so important for any January additions to come in and make their mark, like Chem Campbell has.

Campbell's performances may not have been that impressive since his loan move from Wolverhampton Wanderers, but he is producing in the final third, and his goal contributions have helped the Berkshire side to pick up extra points.

Unfortunately for Masika, he wasn't able to be as prolific in the final third, failing to register a single goal or assist during his loan spell.

In terms of the present, whoever comes in will probably need to be versatile too, because the Royals don't have a decent number of options in most positions. And some of the club's current first-teamers have had to adapt to new roles during the 2024/25 campaign.

It will be interesting to see what unfolds during the winter window, with a potential sale likely to dictate how this period pans out.