Early in the January transfer season, Sheffield United, Norwich City, and Stoke City have all expressed interest in Reading midfielder Charlie Savage.
According to CaughtOffside, who have mentioned the three teams by name in their disclosures, many other Championship clubs are keeping an eye on the 21-year-old’s current status with the League One team.
Despite the well-known background of ongoing financial instability under Dai Yongge’s ownership and the loss of former head coach Ruben Selles to Hull City at the beginning of last month, the Royals currently hold the final play-off spot in the third division with 41 points from their first 24 games.
It should come as no surprise that many of the Irishman’s young team have been linked to moves to clubs higher up the footballing ladder, with Savage once again falling into that category. This is because the Berkshire club is in a high league position after continuing to play well under the leadership of club legend Noel Hunt.
Charlie Savage has been connected to a possible Championship move.
The midfielder, who is the son of former Premier League and EFL mainstay Robbie, has played a significant role in Reading’s successful first half of the season, which has drawn interest from second-tier teams.
According to CaughtOffside, in Mark Robins’ first transfer window as manager of the Staffordshire team, the promotion-chasing Blades, who were recently acquired by COH Sports, are among those clubs, along with play-off contenders Norwich and Stoke.
In order to test the fortitude of the financially constrained Royals before Deadline Day on February 3rd, the source goes on to suggest that all three clubs are hopeful of reaching an agreement in the upcoming weeks.
There is a chance that a bidding war may break out over the midfield player, who inked a four-year contract at the Select Car Leasing Stadium in July 2023, due to the fact that it is unclear what Championship clubs have valued his services.
It might be challenging for Reading FC to keep Charlie Savage on board.
It might be very challenging for the League One team to hold onto one of their most valuable assets, even though Reading has put themselves in a strong position to make a play-off run against all odds.
Naturally, Savage’s departure rumours are nothing new; he was linked to teams like Derby County, Ajax, and FC Twente at one time last season, and his six goals and as many assists across all competitions this season will only increase interest from other teams.
It would be devastating to lose such a key player at this point since Hunt would not be able to replace Savage because Reading is now prohibited from signing any new players because of their embargo following their violation of EFL Regulation 16.7.4 Submission of Annual Accounts.
Although there is optimism that the club will soon be taken over, Savage might feel that moving up to the Championship is the best course of action for his personal growth given the uncertainty that has surrounded the team during his tenure, particularly if other important team members decide to leave in the upcoming weeks.
