Rapid Bucuresti manager Adrian Mutu believes he won't be able to get a deal for Reading forward George Puscas over the line this summer, making this admission to Digisport.ro.

The 26-year-old struggled during the first half of the 2021/22 campaign at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, scoring just twice in 27 competitive appearances for the Royals and recording one assist in the process.

With this, a loan move away from Berkshire was sanctioned as he linked up with Serie B outfit Pisa, where he played a big part and scored eight goals in 22 displays in the Italian second tier.

 

 

However, they have opted against making this deal a permanent one for the Romanian and with this, he faces uncertainty regarding his future with the forward likely to be one of the highest earners at the club as their record signing.

The Royals are working within a tight budget this summer and could potentially bring in a few players in his place if he departs, something that could be crucial for Paul Ince's side considering their lack of depth.

Rapid Bucuresti's boss Mutu has admitted they considering Puscas as a potential option this summer but doesn't believe a move could materialise, potentially leaving the Berkshire outfit and the 26-year-old to find an alternative destination if the former are open to offloading him.

The Verdict:

A move to the Romanian top tier could have allowed the 26-year-old to establish himself as a real hero in his home nation, so this latest revelation may come as a bit of a blow to the forward who still has time to kickstart his career.

He has already shown he can get in and amongst the goals from his recent time in Italy but with Ince likely to play just one up front, there's little point in keeping him if they can bring in two or three replacements for him.

The transfer restrictions have to be considered because there's only a certain amount they will be able to do this summer in terms of incomings, but offloading a likely high earner may satisfy the EFL and persuade them to give the Royals more breathing room in terms of spending transfer fees.

Ideally, they need to offload Liam Moore too but with the Jamaican set to spend the early stages of the season out with an injury, it may be difficult for him to secure a move away from the club before the window closes.

And it would probably cost the Berkshire outfit too much to come to a mutual agreement regarding the termination of his contract, so getting Puscas off the wage bill may be extremely important.