Liam Moore from Reading FC to Stoke City: Is it a good move? Will he start? What does he offer?

The January transfer window slammed shut at 11pm on Monday, meaning there can be no more business between EFL clubs until the summer. 

Stoke City were busy in the winter window – bringing in six new signings as Michael O’Neill bolstered his ranks ahead of the second half of the season.

Among the arrivals was defender Liam Moore, who joined on loan from Reading with Tom Ince moving in the other direction.

We’ve taken a deeper look at the deal to assess whether it was a good move, if he’ll start, and what he’ll offer the Potters…

The jury is out on this one, in my eyes.

With Phil Jagielka and Taylor Harwood-Bellis both also joining in January, O’Neill has strengthened his options at centre-back and that was needed given Danny Batth and Leo Ostigard both departed but you’d have to question where exactly Moore sits in the pecking order.

Squad depth is more important than ever this season and the 29-year-old’s arrival on loan does ensure the Potters have more cover for the backline but it remains to be seen how much of an impact he’ll have.

As per Salary Sport, Moore is on wages of £35,000 and you’d have to imagine that Stoke are paying a fair chunk of that given the Royals are unlikely to be looking to do them any favours.

Tom Ince, on a reported wage of £27,000, has gone the other way which does level things out a bit but this still looks a strange one.

If Moore can contribute to Stoke rising back up the table, however, it will be worth it.

Probably not straight away but it really depends on how O’Neill sees the pecking order at centre-back.

Jagielka has come straight into the side since his arrival and Harwood-Bellis looks an impressive young defender.

Ben Wilmot has returned from his back injury as well while James