“I’d certainly take him” – Reading FC fan pundit urges club to strike transfer deal for 30-year-old

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk‘ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Championship club Reading should be looking to secure a permanent agreement for former loanee Tom Ince if the club can afford him, according to the view of FLW’s Reading fan pundit Johnny Hunt.

The 30-year-old arrived at the Select Car Leasing Stadium in the latter stages of January from Stoke City, being a semi-regular figure for the Potters during the first half of the 2021/22 campaign but not exactly establishing himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet.

With that, manager Michael O’Neill sanctioned a temporary move away for the winger and he instantly became a regular starter for the Royals, winning a penalty on his debut against Bristol City, being on the teamsheet regularly during the latter stages of Veljko Paunovic’s tenure and that has continued throughout father Paul Ince’s time at the club.

His future is currently unclear though with the former England youth international being released by Stoke City, meaning that he will be available for nothing this summer.

The Royals could be a potential destination for Ince, though he may need to sign on the dotted line for a reduced wage with the Berkshire outfit needing to remain within a strict business plan they agreed with the EFL last November.

And FLW Reading fan pundit Hunt believes the fate of father Paul will determine his future, with the 54-year-old not certain to take the second-tier side into next season yet.

He said: “Tom Ince is an interesting one. I think it depends on whether his dad is going to be the manager or not which may