Championship side Reading are building well ahead of the upcoming campaign, with six names already through the door at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

The return of Shane Long has given many of the second-tier side's supporters a real boost, though many of their other additions are also impressive considering the restrictions the Royals are currently under.

Jeff Hendrick and Tyrese Fornah linked up well as a midfield partnership during last weekend's friendly against West Ham United, with many of their youngsters not looking out of place either.

 

 

Defender John Clarke and central midfielder Kian Leavy looked particularly bright - and they will be hoping to force their way into Paul Ince's thoughts before the new campaign officially gets underway.

There's plenty of incoming business to be done before the summer window closes though, with the left-back area one that particularly needs to be addressed along with a couple of other key positions.

It comes as no surprise then that these latest headlines are all transfer-related, a good sign for the Royals as 2022/23 approaches.

Hutchinson poised to sign

The Berkshire side are close to getting Sam Hutchinson tied down to a contract, according to assistant manager Alex Rae who spoke to Berkshire Live.

32-year-old Hutchinson was released on the expiration of his contract at Sheffield Wednesday this summer, providing Ince with the opportunity to invite him in for a trial and he has certainly impressed during his short stay at the SCL Stadium.

Performing well against both Benfica and West Ham, it's no surprise that a deal is now very close to being completed, with the defender starting alongside Tom Holmes and Tom McIntyre in central defence last weekend.

He didn't look out of place in that game - but keeping him fit will be key for the second-tier side if they want to make the very most of him.

Davenport and Jeanvier leave

According to the same report from Berkshire Live, a considerable number of former trialists have also left the club in recent times after appearing for the Royals against Benfica.

Centre-back Julian Jeanvier has returned to Morocco, with former Blackburn Rovers midfielder Jacob Davenport also departing despite looking bright against the Portuguese side earlier this month.

Grant Ward has returned to Blackpool - and Jodi Jones and Josh Murphy have also left - giving the Royals a clearer picture of their current squad and with that, showing what they still need to do in the transfer market between now and the end of the summer.

Losing Jeanvier may have been a real blow for the Berkshire side considering his pedigree as one of the better free-agent central defenders out there, with this position potentially needing to be addressed even when a deal for Hutchinson is finalised.

Another midfielder would have also been useful, so it may come as a surprise to some of their supporters that Davenport was let go, though they will trust Ince to decide who is and who isn't good enough to be at the club.

Guinness-Walker arrives on trial

When the teamsheet for the West Ham friendly was revealed on Saturday, two new names in Nesta Guinness-Walker and Yasin Ben El-Mhanni appeared on the teamsheet.

Both made substitute appearances, with Guinness-Walker being particularly impressive on the left-hand side, an area the Royals desperately need to strengthen before the new season starts.

With fellow trialist Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill out injured, this is a glorious opportunity for the ex-AFC Wimbledon man to earn a contract in Berkshire. He certainly didn't do his chances any harm with his performance against the Hammers.

There are reservations from some supporters on El-Mhanni though, with the 26-year-old last plying his trade with non-league outfit Harrow Borough.