Reading’s Upcoming Contract Expirations

With the season done, all clubs in the football pyramid will be looking at which players they still have on their books. Contracts coming to an end spark not only a great opportunity to pick up talent on the cheap, but also concern for fans who don’t want to see players leave.

Reading have valiantly secured League One status for next season. The Royals ended the campaign finishing 17th, nine points clear of the relegation zone. Being a League One club will make Berkshire a lot more of an appealing place to stay. Relegation would have likely led to a second rebuild in the space of two years, but thankfully we don’t have to think about that.

In recent years, contract lengths have been restricted due to transfer embargoes constantly placed on the club. Only one player has signed a contract longer than three years since Ovie Ejaria in 2020, when he penned a four-year contract: Charlie Savage in 2023.

The Royals have a few first-team players with contracts expiring this summer. Have a look into who these are below.

Femi Azeez

Azeez signed a two-year extension in 2022, following a strong debut season in 2021/22. The winger is now one of the first names on the team sheet, still at just 22 years old. This season Azeez contributed nine goals and eight assists, making him Reading’s fourth top scorer and highest assist contributor, one ahead of Lewis Wing.

Azeez will be hard to keep in the summer with big-money offers likely to come in from Championship clubs in the summer. If, and it’s a big if, Reading are able to keep Azeez for next season, that is arguably as good as a new signing.

Clinton Mola

After being released by VfB Stuttgart in the summer, Mola signed a one-year deal with the Royals last summer. The English full-back started to become a mainstay in the starting XI towards the end of the season as Reading looked thin in defensive areas. Despite being left-footed, Mola has played on both sides of the defence this season. Often being drawn into the side to cover for absentees, specifically for Jeriel Dorsett while he was injured.

Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images

Mola has divided opinions and can be hit or miss in some games, but the quality he has shown in the closing games of the season is definitely enough to deserve at least another year in Berkshire. The versatility he offers would be difficult to replace, even if he just becomes a rotation player next season.

Joel Pereira

Pereira is a name a few may recognise due to his time at Manchester United, despite leaving the Red Devils in 2018. Since then, he has been at five clubs before joining Reading from RKC Waalwijk in the Netherlands last summer. The Portuguese shot-stopper had been limited to cup fixtures before recent weeks when he was called up to cover for David Button. In the nine League One games which he has played, he has impressed, managing to keep clean sheets against Cambridge United, Northampton Town and Bristol Rovers.

Pereira, unlike many others on the list, has been confirmed to have the option to extend for a further year. An option which you would expect Reading to take up as not just a strong backup but potentially forcing his way into the side with his good form.

Jeriel Dorsett

An academy graduate in Berkshire, Dorsett has been patient for his breakthrough into the first team. Being at the club since 13, Dorsett has had two loan moves away to Rochdale AFC and Kilmarnock before getting his chance in blue and white. Dorsett signed a year extension last summer and has been given his chance this year, making 27 appearances.

It would be great to see Dorsett sign on again for next year, not only because he has been at the club for over a decade, but also his form this season has earned him an extension.

Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan

Another academy graduate, Ehibhatiomhan has broken into the first-team set-up this year after being on the cuff in previous seasons. He’s made an astonishing 47 appearances this season with 11 goals to add to that, despite most of them being off the bench.

Ehibhatiomhan is a marmite player for many: some are big fans and some are frustrated by his on-pitch presence. Having made a couple of starts on the wing, Kelvin seems to be comfortable out wide rather than through the middle. A promising talent, keeping Kelvin would be a good piece of business as in a few years he may feel like one that got away.

Sam Hutchinson

34-year-old Sam Hutchinson has been a Royal for two years and has provided significant experience to very youthful sides. However, Hutchinson has only managed 26 appearances across the two seasons and hasn’t featured in a matchday squad for Reading since December.

Despite a wealth of experience, Hutchinson is unlikely to get the offer of a contract renewal, having found himself surplus to requirements in the second half of the season.

Tivonge Rushesha

The 21-year-old joined from Swansea City on an initial one-year contract in the summer. The Zimbabwean international has mainly featured for the under-21s this season, only making 11 first-team appearances. Mainly featuring in cup competitions, Rushesha has played in various positions including central midfield and right-back.

Rushesha, like Pereira, signed with the option of a further year, which you would expect Reading to exercise. As a good option off the bench, and still developing in the academy set-up, it would make sense for Reading to keep him on for another year.

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Kelvin Abrefa

A versatile right-sided player, Abrefa has also had limited minutes in the first team and mainly been a ‘bench player’ for the past two seasons. In his 13 cameos this season, Abrefa looks like a threat going forward and has plenty of pace to recover and put in defensive work as well.

As another academy graduate, it would be nice to see Abrefa stick around and make his breakthrough into the first team as a potential replacement for Andy Yiadom.

Jayden Wareham

A local lad, Jayden Wareham returned to his boyhood club last summer on a one-year contract following his time on trial from Chelsea. Wareham has been given a couple of runouts this season: seven in League One and four in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy. Well-deserved cameos for the under-21s’ top scorer, boasting nine goals and two assists in 15 appearances in Premier League 2.

Wareham is another player that looks to have huge potential and could play a much bigger role next season, perhaps similar to that of Dominic Ballard in the early part of this season. The striker looks physically and technically ready and was unfortunate not to grab his first senior goal against Blackpool.

Nesta Guinness-Walker

An almost forgotten figure in Berkshire, the English full-back signed a one-year extension to his initial contract at the start of this season. However, things didn’t seem to work out for Guinness-Walker this season as he left Reading for Stevenage on loan in January, having only managed 10 appearances for Ruben Selles’ side in the first half of the season.

It looks unlikely that either Reading or Guinness-Walker would choose to extend his stay at the Royals. Whether Stevenage may offer him the opportunity next year is also unknown.

Michael Craig

His contract may also expire this summer, but no length of contract was specified when he signed for the club. Having made 36 appearances this season at just 20 years old, Craig is definitely someone who fans would hope to see in a Reading shirt next year.