Southampton news may not break Reading FC hearts but will bring Dai Yongge regret | OneFootball

Andre Garcia may not be a key player, but things could have been different if Dai Yongge had sold the club.

Reading youngster Andre Garcia is attracting interest from Southampton, who are keen to sign him.

This is according to Fabrizio Romano, who believes the Saints have submitted a £2m bid to try and get a deal over the line for the left-sided player, having failed in a previous attempt to secure an agreement.

17-year-old Garcia has featured regularly for the Royals' first team this season, making his senior debut on the opening day of the 2024/25 campaign against Birmingham City.

The teenager has played at left-back in the absence of Jeriel Dorsett, but has spent time on the left wing more recently, with the player struggling defensively at times during his time at full-back.

Establishing himself as one of the Berkshire side's most talented players, it's no surprise that he has attracted interest from elsewhere, with TBR Football reporting back in November that Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were among the teams interested in the player.

It only seems like a matter of time before the player leaves the Select Car Leasing Stadium, but it remains to be seen whether he will leave during this window or not.

Andre Garcia isn't a key player at Reading FC yet

With the Royals still facing cash flow challenges, many fans are nervous about the possibility of some key players being sold before the end of the January transfer window.

Harvey Knibbs, Lewis Wing and Sam Smith have all been key since the summer of 2023 - and it would be a major blow if the club was to lose any of those players.

Goalkeeper Joel Pereira is also key and like Knibbs, he has been linked with a move away from the SCL Stadium during this window.

Losing any of the four could be disastrous, so letting Garcia go may be a better option.

Dorsett may have sustained another injury on Saturday, and that could make Garcia more important, but others may be able to step up in his place at left-back.

Abraham Kanu could potentially raise his game - or Andy Yiadom or Kelvin Abrefa could step up to the plate - depending on their fitness.

Even on the wing, Chem Campbell has secured another loan move to Berkshire and Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan has returned from his injury.

If the Royals can secure a fee of around £2m-£3m up front, that could ease cash flow issues and allow the League One side to keep other players.

Garcia, however, is a very promising player and if the Berkshire side was in a more stable financial situation, they could have been in a better position to keep him.

The Royals' academy should be partly used to sell promising players to bring in revenue, but they will also want to keep some young players and develop them to become a key part of the first team.

Garcia is one player who will only get better - and losing someone like him would be a real blow.

He may not be a "key" player just yet, but he's been heavily involved this season and could develop into an excellent winger if given more game time by the Berkshire outfit in the coming months.

Even if he's loaned back, he's only likely to be retained by the Royals for the remainder of the season and not beyond then.

In an ideal world, a takeover would happen and the player would be tied down to a longer-term deal. But a sale seems to be quite far away at this stage, with Dai Yongge failing to sanction a takeover at this point.

With this in mind, the club may have to cash in on him, which is a blow. At a time when the Royals should be thriving, with their excellent academy at their disposal, they are struggling massively on the pitch.

That's having an impact on the pitch - and it could lead to Garcia's sale.