Derby County keen on move for Reading man, says reporter
Yiadom, 31, still has two years left on his contract at Reading but his future with the Berkshire outfit is up in the air at the moment.
According to The Sunday Mirror reporter Witcoop on Twitter (see tweet below), the Rams have emerged as potential ‘suitors’ for his signature this summer.
Derby could see Yiadom as someone to strengthen their defensive department. He would give them another outlet on the right or left flank and likes to get up and down the pitch from defence.
The Ghana international, who has 26 caps under his belt to date, has been on the books at Reading since 2018 and was part of their side who were relegated to League One in the last campaign.
Yiadom was on the books at Watford as a youngster but had to drop into non-league for spells at Hayes and Yeading United and Braintree Town before landing a move to the Football League in 2012 with Barnet.
He became a key player for the Bees and spent five years with theLondon club before Barnsley swooped to sign him in the Championship.
The Londoner then had two campaigns at Oakwell and played 66 games in all competitions during his stint in South Yorkshire.
Reading then brought him in and he has since enjoyed plenty of game time with the Royals. However, it remains to be seen whether he will be sticking around for a fifth season with Derby now being linked with a move.
The 31-year-old is a name that many Rams fans will recognise, as he has spent his entire career in England, initially working his way from non-league to the Football League with Barnet, before earning a move to Barnsley and then Reading.
As well as that, Yiadom has won 26 caps for Ghana, so he is someone who has plenty of experience under his belt.
Yiadom was named as club captain for the Berkshire outfit last year, but it appears he faces an uncertain future, as journalist Darren Witcoop revealed that he is one of the players that Reading could cash in on as they look to raise money for Ruben Selles, as he looks to make improvements to the squad.
“Reading plan a cull to raise funds with Andy Carroll along with Tom Holmes among the players being made available. Tom McIntyre is interesting Blackburn while Andy Yiadom could also be on his way with Derby potential suitors.”
Normally, you would say not. The Rams have had a busy window so far, and two notable additions have come at right wing-back, with Joe Ward and Kane Wilson joining the club.
The duo are both more than capable of performing in the third tier, and you could argue it’s actually Derby’s strongest position in the team, so it would be odd for Paul Warne to look for another in that role.
However, Ward was forced off in the defeat to Oxford, whilst Wilson picked up a knock as well. Of course, we don’t know the full extent of those issues, but if either have a serious problem then it may force a rethink from the east Midlands side.
As well as that, Yiadom isn’t someone who can only play down the right flank.
He is comfortable on the left flank, where Derby lacks the same strength in depth. Whilst he may not suit the balance of the team as a right footer, Yiadom would bring athleticism and pace, and he can also offer quality when cutting in.
Finally, given his experience and that physicality, it also wouldn’t be a massive shock if Warne wanted to use the player as one of his wide centre-backs in a three, which also could work. So, that versatility would certainly appeal to Derby.
The defender has a deal with Reading until the summer of 2025, but the Royals are not in a position to demand a big fee, and, instead, the priority would be to clear Yiadom’s wages off the books.
Of course, they will still want a transfer fee, but you wouldn’t imagine it’s going to take much for Derby to do this deal, if the player wants to go, and if the finances make sense.
Yiadom did start Reading’s first two league games, but he was a sub for the win over Cheltenham last time out.
Selles’ side are back in action at home to Stevenage this weekend, with Derby hosting Fleetwood.
Leave a Reply