Reading have confirmed players that will be leaving this summer as contracts expire and loan spells finish. Thankfully the departures are not as dramatic as recent seasons and the Royals will be hoping to hang on to key players when transfers get underway pre-season. There is also some good news with players who were out of contract having one year extensions activated to keep them at the club.
Nesta Guinness-Walker, Matty Carson, Sam Hutchinson and Clinton Mola are all set to leave the club as their contracts expire. Nesta Guinness-Walker was once a first choice player in the starting eleven but fell out of favour after Reading's poor start to the season and found himself out on loan at Stevenage. At Stevenage he found himself playing more from the bench but did notch up 14 league appearances. Clinton Mola spent just one season with the Royals and has not been offered a new contract. At 34 years old Sam Hutchinson was the experience in a very young Reading squad this season but failed to make an appearance since December last year.
Tom Holmes, Dom Ballard, Zane Monlouis and Paul Mukairu will all return to their parent clubs after their loan spells at Reading expire. It will feel strange to see defender Tom Holmes depart as he has not felt like a loan player after his mid-season transfer to Luton Town. Holmes immediately returned to the club he had spent his entire football career at on-loan, and was clearly emotional to finally wrap up his time at Reading during the lap of honour after Reading's final home game of the season against Blackpool. Paul Mukairu showed great promise but will return to Copenhagan after scoring six goals in all competitions for the Royals and making 38 appearances.
Topping the list of players who will sign-on for an additional year is Femi Azeez who hit great form in the second half of the season. It is a shame that longer contracts could not be offered to prevent these players leaving in a years time. Hopefully the Royals will have an impressive season next term, and perhaps a promotion push. That would be of course be fantastic for the club but could see another whole set of young players out of contract and out of the club to "bigger clubs" with no income for the Royals. We can only hope that new owners are able to extend contracts througout the new season. One year extensions have gone to Femi Azeez, Kelvin Ehibatiomhan, Joel Pereira, Michael Craig, Jeriel Dorsett, and Jayden Wareham. Twenty-seven year old Joel Pereira has impressed after becoming Reading's first choice in goal, so it is excellent news to see him retained. Kelvin Abrefa and Tivonge Rushesha have also been offered new contracts that will hopefully seem them stay in Berkshire.
New Contracts Offered As Players Depart
From the Discussion
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ST Stranded 8 May 2024 · 10:22am
It's out and there may be 1 or 2 surprises: 1 year options activated by the club for: Femi Azeez Michael Craig Jeriel Dorsett Kelvin Ehibatiomhan Joel Pereira Jayden Wareham Contracts offered to Abrefa and Rushesha Released Matty Carson Nesta Guiness-Walker Sam Hutchinson Clinton Mola Mola going is a little surprising and with Carson off as well, looks like we may have identified a LB option or 2 we want to bring in.
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YU yuomi 8 May 2024 · 10:26am
Surprised but not particularly saddened by Carson and Mola. Wonder if either/both got offers from elsewhere. Keeping Azeez is a great, even if it means someone'll have to pay a fee for him this summer. Still think the likes of Bolton and Plymouth will be circling. All in all, could have been a lot worse. The core of an improving team stays and if we can recruit/promote from within in the same vein we did last year there's a lot to be excited about.
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BL blythspartan 8 May 2024 · 10:26am
Yes, surprised about Mola and I was raving about Carson at the beginning of the season, but he wasn’t so good defensively. I see this as a positive, as the takeover must be close.
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WE WestYorksRoyal 8 May 2024 · 10:29am
The 2 big headline are that we have the option on Azeez (great news) and the decision to release Mola (arguably harsh). I can understand the Mola decision. He improved greatly this season, but we really need a specialist LB. Mola offered little going forward and a L1 squad option is probably about his level. Add in that we have Dorsett who can also act as a versatile LB/CB plus Abrefa and Yiadom who can cover, maybe we decided we didn't need another squad option there. So makes sense if a specialist LB is incoming. And while it's harsh, the opportunity we gave him this season will ensure he finds another club.
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SU Sutekh 8 May 2024 · 10:41am
Not saddened by the loss of Mola or Carson but worried that there is now no cover at LB so will be interesting to see which free options pass through the club in the summer. Which Azeez has had his contract extended though?
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PA Panas 8 May 2024 · 11:03am
I do wonder if Mola chose to leave to get more minutes next season. Selles seemed to like him and his versatility makes him a very useful sub so I'd be surprised if we didn't want to keep him as back-up, albeit no more than that. Carson realistically needs longer to develop at this level than we can afford to give him.
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ST stealthpapes 8 May 2024 · 11:08am
Surprised but not particularly saddened by Carson and Mola. Wonder if either/both got offers from elsewhere. Basically this. Mola improved markedly over the season. Carson was alright at the start but felt his confidence shot by about halfway through the season.
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SC South Coast Royal 8 May 2024 · 11:11am
No surprises really apart perhaps from Rushesha being offered a contract. I guess , as posted elsewhere, the deal for Azeez is so that we get a fee when he goes. Last season the club did really well in bringing in the likes of Wing and Bindon in particular plus Smith and Knibbs. We really need similar rabbits from the hat this close season (although we will still be very restricted) and if so, who knows we might even be able to make a top 6 challenge especially if we can keep Wing and Bindon. Despite his popularity around the team and his undoubted commitment I'm not convinced by Mbengue as an orthodox centre-back and would like to…