Championship News
Contract update on Reading FC player emerges amid Nottingham Forest transfer interest
Reading FC could be closing in on a significant contract breakthrough, as talks with young defender Tom Holmes are ‘progressing’, according to the Reading Chronicle.
Holmes is one of a number of Royals players who are out of contract this summer, but the club hierarchy are desperately trying to tie down many first-teamers to new deals and not lose them on free transfers – or for minimal compensation packages.
Being one of the younger players from the senior squad with his contract up for renewal, Holmes would secure Reading some form of compensation should he move on, but there is confidence within the camp that he will put pen-to-paper on extended terms.
Quiz: Are these 20 Reading transfer facts true or false?
Holmes was a regular for Reading last season, playing 32 times in the Championship and during his time at the club has featured in 75 games in all competitions, with all-but one of those coming following a loan stint at Belgian outfit Roeselare in 2019-20.
The 22-year-old is not without interest elsewhere though, with The Athletic reporting earlier this month that newly-promoted Nottingham Forest have held a long-standing interest in the right-sided defender, and they could potentially pursue his signature should he not agree terms with the Royals.
The Verdict
Holmes probably still has a lot of learning to do when it comes to the defensive side of his game, and Reading is probably the best place for that right now.
The Royals had to defend a lot of attacks last season and it may be a similar scenario again in 2022-23, so at least the youngster would be being tested on a weekly basis.
If Holmes doesn’t get a solid team around him though after extending his deal, then he could really struggle, so perhaps he’s keeping his options open whilst he sees who else from the squad commits their futures.
Whilst Forest’s ‘long-standing’ interest in him may be a head-turner, there is no way that Holmes would head to the City Ground and play much in the Premier League this coming season, so perhaps his best course is to extend his stay at the Select Car Leasing Stadium for at least a couple of seasons longer.
