Centre-back Naby Sarr has signed a four-year contract at the Select Car Leasing Stadium after deciding to join Reading, as per an update from 13football.com.

The 28-year-old was released on the expiration of his contract at Huddersfield Town this summer despite making 25 appearances in all competitions last season, proving to be a useful squad player at the John Smith's Stadium.

His departure came as a surprise to some even though he was no longer one of the first names on the teamsheet in West Yorkshire, with Levi Colwill departing after the end of his loan deal and this left the Terriers needing another centre-back even without Sarr's departure.

Despite their decision to let him go though, he hasn't been short of interest this summer with Football Insider claiming earlier this month that the Royals, Birmingham City and German side Kaiserslautern were all chasing a deal for him.

John Eustace's side, however, have moved for Dion Sanderson and Auston Trusty since then and with other options also available to the former Watford player in this department, they may have pulled out of the race for the ex-Terrier some time ago.

This has potentially enabled Paul Ince's men to secure a deal for his services, with Sarr aware of the Royals' interest for a while but biding his time before picking his next destination.

Football Insider reported yesterday that a deal had been agreed to take him to Berkshire - and 13football.com believes he has committed his long-term future to the second-tier side's cause by signing a four-year contract.

The Verdict:

This is a big commitment from both parties but the second-tier club's hands are tied with their restrictions, so this wish for a long-term deal may have been from Sarr's side.

However, the Royals can't afford to pay him too much anyway with their deals needing to be signed off by the EFL, so this is a reasonably low-risk signing and they could always sell him on for a considerable fee if he shines in Berkshire.

It's not as if he will be in his late thirties by the time his contract ends either and could potentially extend his stay past 2026, so if this update is accurate, it can be seen as a real positive by the Reading fanbase.

Many supporters are tired of seeing many of their most valuable players leave for free but there's no risk of Sarr doing that in the next couple of years if he has signed on until 2026.

Now the deal seems to be all but complete, Ince will be looking to have him in training as quickly as possible to get him to the levels required for him to play 90 minutes. Without a full pre-season under his belt, he may have some catching up to do.