Stoke City have joined Championship rivals Bristol City in the race to recruit Reading midfielder Andy Rinomhota, according to a report from Bristol Live.

The 25-year-old spent much of last season on the sidelines and was a sorely missed figure at the Select Car Leasing Stadium as the Royals struggled massively - but just about managed to secure their safety.

Bad times may not be over for the Berkshire outfit though with several first-teamers out of contract in under a month and the club working within a strict EFL business plan this summer, something that may limit the number of signings they will be able to make in the coming months.

 

 

Rinomhota is one of those out of contract and are powerless to stop the midfielder securing a move away with the 25-year-old able to engage in negotiations with other clubs.

If he does move away, this would be a major blow for the second-tier side who are desperate to keep hold of their academy graduate - and have offered him a contract in a last-ditch attempt to keep him in Berkshire.

Ahead of this potential switch, we take a look at one winner and one loser at the SCL Stadium if he was to reject fresh terms and move on.

Winner: Dejan Tetek

With Danny Drinkwater and Tom Dele-Bashiru heading back to their loan clubs and Josh Laurent out of contract, the departure of Rinomhota may open up a first-team spot for the Serbian who played a sporadic role in the first team last season.

At 19, that is still a considerable achievement but he could be even more of a regular player during 2021/22 because the Berkshire side need to address many other areas of their team including the goalkeeping department, left-back position and forward area.

Even if he isn't a regular starter, he could be on the bench every week and with injury likely to creep into play, he could easily record 30 or more league appearances during the 2022/23 season if he can stay fit himself.

The Berkshire outfit suffering with injury troubles throughout last term and with their squad unlikely to be filled out with depth, that will increase the teenager's chances of getting himself regular pitch minutes.

Loser: Josh Laurent

Going back to the start of 2020/21, it was the Laurent and Rinomhota partnership that contributed heavily to their early success that season and the former continued to thrive with the latter alongside him throughout that whole season.

Rinomhota's absence for much of 2021/22 was sorely felt by Laurent who endured some very low moments last season despite scoring crucial goals against the likes of Blackburn Rovers and Barnsley to keep his side afloat in the division.

Having the duo alongside each other could help the latter to thrive once more if both sign new contracts - and if he does shine - that will only increase interest in his signature once more with Brighton, Rangers and Nottingham Forest previously linked.

If his teammate leaves though, a new man is likely to come in and it's unclear how well they would combine.