Bacuna began his career with Dutch side FC Groningen, where he made over 100 appearances before a three million pound move to Aston Villa in the summer of 2013. After four years with Villa he made 131 appearances, scoring 8 goals. He was a regular for Villa during three Premier League seasons before their relegation to the Championship and is still just 25 years old.
Bacuna, primarily a midfielder, is a versitile player who could step into the side in midfield, defence or on the wing. He has previously played at right back and maybe used as cover for Chris Gunter. Bacuna appears well known to Reading boss Jaap Stam: "Leandro is a player that we have been following for a while – he has played Premier League football and brings quality to us. He is the type of player who can play in several positions in the team – in midfield, at the back, or even sometimes as a winger. He is a player with the right mentality and who wants to go forward; these are the types of players that we want to have."
Reading's Summer Signings:
- Leandro Bacuna (Aston Villa)
- Modou Barrow (Swansea)
- Vito Mannone (Sunderland)
- Jon Dadi Bodvarsson (Wolves)
- Pelle Clement (Ajax)