Tommy Elphick is on the verge of sealing a permanent move to the Royals, according to the Reading Chronicle.

The 30-year-old was on loan at the club in the second half of last season from Aston Villa, but a major knee injury ruled him out for a significant chunk of the season. However, Paul Clement appears to have been impressed with the defender, even though he was a Jaap Stam signing.

Elphick's future was made uncertain by Villa's Play-Off Final loss to Fulham because John Terry isn't staying at the club, so they need another centre-back to partner James Chester with an experienced player preferred by Steve Bruce. This made Elphick a prime candidate for the role. However, it appears as if that won't be the case with Villa looking elsewhere.

The Verdict

This would be a good signing for Reading because he bolsters a key area with him and Liam Moore having the potential to be a fearsome long-term defensive partnership, and it ensures that Royals have a lot of depth in this area.

Clement is building from the back up, so that they can rely on defensive stability first and foremost. The only issue with this approach is that it has echoes of Stam's time at the club, so Reading fans won't want to return to the rigid, predictable football which came to represent Stam's style of play by the end.