Contract update emerges on Reading FC star ahead of potential summer exit

Championship outfit Reading have not managed to make meaningful progress in contract talks with midfielder Josh Laurent, as per a Twitter update from former Reading Chronicle journalist Matt Joy.

The 26-year-old was one of the Royals’ best players last term after making the step up from League One seamlessly, forming a formidable partnership with Andy Rinomhota in the middle of the park and proving to be one of the bargains of the summer of 2020.

He has endured poor spells of form this term – but has still popped up with vital goals recently with a winner against Blackburn Rovers and equaliser at relegation strugglers Barnsley going a long way in securing the Berkshire outfit’s survival.

These key moments will only increase interest in his signature, with Brighton & Hove Albion and Rangers’ interest in his services being reported last May after a superb first campaign at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

However, it was second-tier rivals Nottingham Forest who went further and made a seven-figure bid for him last summer, an offer that was rejected with the Royals’ already lacking in first-team options at that point.

But Steve Cooper’s men may be able to snap him up for free this summer with his existing terms in Berkshire expiring at the end of this campaign after signing a two-year contract back in 2020.

And as per former reporter Joy, no progress has been made in talks between Laurent and his current side with the club looking set to remain within a tight budget over the next 12 months in accordance with a business plan they agreed with the EFL last November.

The Verdict:

Recruiting Laurent was one of the Royals’ best decisions in recent years, so it would be a blow for them to lose him for free even though they didn’t