This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Reading are considering a move for former Nottingham Forest man Yuri Ribeiro, according to the Reading Chronicle.

The 24-year-old left-back has been out of contract since the start of last month since being released from Nottingham Forest - but still made a respectable 57 senior appearances for Chris Hughton's side in a two-year spell after joining from Benfica in 2019.

With a chance to make a fresh start, he could transform from being a semi-regular player to being one of the first names on the team sheet at the Select Car Leasing Stadium after Omar Richards' departure on the expiration of his deal, as he linked up with former Champions League winners Bayern Munich.

 

 

Under Reading's current transfer embargo rules, they are currently operating within very strict parameters but with Ribeiro becoming a free agent last month and yet to be signed up to a new club, this is a deal the Royals have a good chance of completing if they get clearance by the EFL.

And with this potential deal on the horizon, we asked three of our FLW team what they thought about the left-back's potential move to Berkshire.

Would he be a good signing? Someone the Royals need? The trio have these two questions covered below.

Phil Spencer

I think that this would be a really shrewd addition.

Yuri Ribeiro is a player with decent Championship experience having spent the last two seasons with Nottingham Forest, making 57 appearances in the process.

Unfortunately for the 24-year-old he just hasn't been able to nail down a regular spot in the team.

Reading are desperate for a left-back after losing Omar Richards to Bayern Munich at the end of last season, meaning that Ribeiro could certainly fit the bill.

The Portuguese star would likely hit the ground running with the Royals and so if Veljko Paunovic could pull this off then it could be a smart move.

Ned Holmes

This would be a solid signing, in my eyes.

Though he struggled to ever really cement his place as Nottingham Forest's first-choice left-back over a long period, Ribeiro certainly didn't look out of place at Championship level.

He's a relatively well-balanced full-back, in that he is solid defensively and offers a threat going forward, so there's a lot to like about the former Reds player.

The Royals are yet to replace Omar Richards, whose move to Bayern Munich shows you just good a player the 23-year-old is, and signing Ribeiro should go some way to doing just that.

Landing the 24-year-old on a free transfer looks as though it could turn out to be an excellent piece of business, if Ribeiro can settle well at the Berkshire club.

Sam Rourke

He'd be a stellar addition in my eyes.

The Royals are in desperate need of a left-back following Omar Richards' departure to Bayern Munich and given the transfer restrictions that have been placed upon the Berkshire side, it's been tough to secure a replacement.

Ribeiro has plenty of experience in the Championship with Nottingham Forest and has shown he is capable of performing to a good level in the second tier.

Somewhat similar to the departed Richards, the 24-year-old is an energetic left-back who is adept in both an attacking and defensive sense so I can see him slotting in seamlessly within that Royals rear-guard.

I'd imagine he'd be keen to rejuvenate his career in England after being released from Forest, and in Reading he'd be joining a club where he'd be guaranteed first-team minutes in a side that are looking up rather than down this term.