Reading midfielder, Liam Kelly has emerged as a surprise loan target for Italian side, Udinese according to Sky Sports News. 

It was previously revealed by Football.London that Kelly had been made available on loan for the remainder of the season, a decision which took some Royals supporters by surprise.

But it is understandable, especially given that Kelly has been limited to just 15 league appearances this season which will be disappointing for the Irish youngster.

More importantly, he hasn't featured in a league match since November, when the Royals were previously managed by Paul Clement.

He clearly isn't in new manager, Jose Gomes' plans this season, and needs regular game time to further his development in first-team football.

Kelly did feature for the Royals against Manchester United in the FA Cup earlier this month, but hasn't been able to nail down a regular place in the Reading squad for their league campaign.

A successful loan spell at Udinese could give the newly appointed Reading boss a selection headache for future seasons.

Kelly is likely to be tempted with a move away from the Madejski Stadium, as he has already proven himself to be a good enough player in the Championship.

But for one reason or another, he simply isn't first-choice central midfielder in Berkshire at the moment, which will be disappointing for the 23-year-old who is one of the brightest talents to come out of the academy in recent years.

The Verdict: 

I don't think many would have seen this one coming.

I was surprised to see Kelly being made available on loan for the rest of the season in the first place, but in all honesty, it does make sense for both Reading and the midfielder.

If he gets regular football with Udinese then I don't see why this deal would be an issue.