Tom McIntyre has followed Nelson Abbey out of the club as Reading continue to cut costs and try and secure immediate funds to pay wages of remaining staff. McIntyre leaves for a pitifully small transfer fee of just 75,000 pounds to Portsmouth who are currently top of the League One table. Despite McIntyre being a Reading fan, having being born in the town and coming through the youth system, the move makes so much sense for the player, giving him stability and a strong chance of Championship football next season. Twenty-five year old McIntyre first appeared for the first team in the 2018/2019 season, making two league appearances – both 1-1 draws in the Championship. The following season he clocked up 14 appearances in all competitions before becoming a first team regular the following season. McIntyre, always a popular player, will be missed and all Reading fans will wish him well with his new club.
Fellow defender, 20 year old Nelson Abbey has completed his move to Olympiakos for an undisclosed fee. Abbey’s story is similar to McIntyre’s as Reading failed to cash in significantly for a talented young player that came through the Academy to be a big success in Reading’s first team. Abbey’s first team debut was in September 2020, but he had to wait three more seasons before establishing himself as a regular in the starting eleven this season. Abbey had featured consistently all season for the Royals, and with McIntyre now also leaving Reading will be short of defensive options.
The transfer window is still open, giving the possibility of further players leaving for very low fees, however, the club have paid their wage bill this month to avoid any further fines for the club owner who continues to look for what he considers to be a suitable buyer. No sale of the club is likely in the short term as the saga drags on, with Reading still in the bottom four and facing relegation to League Two with a much depleted playing squad.
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