Paul Ince provides Reading FC transfer update on Naby Sarr ahead of Blackburn Rovers clash | OneFootball

Reading manager Paul Ince is hopeful of having Naby Sarr available for Wednesday evening’s fixture against Blackburn Rovers, speaking to BBC Radio Berkshire yesterday evening.

The 29-year-old was set to link up with the Royals last month – but the EFL are yet to sanction this deal and that has become a concern to many of the second-tier side’s supporters who are desperate to see another centre-back come in.

He was believed to be on the Berkshire outfit’s radar during the early stages of July, but those links faded soon after with Birmingham City and German outfit Kaiserslautern also believed to have been interested in the free agent.

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However, it looked as though Paul Ince’s side had won the race for his signature with the two sides managing to come to an agreement.

But because they are currently required to operate within transfer restrictions, every deal agreed needs to be ratified by the EFL and they are yet to sanction this agreement, with Courtney Friday reporting that the second-tier side need to offload a high earner before they can bring him in.

With George Puscas remaining at the club at this stage despite interest from elsewhere, Ince is hopeful of having Sarr in before midweek regardless.

He said: “You look at Stevenage on Tuesday, we need people who are strong and seasoned pros and hopefully Naby (Sarr) will be done by Wednesday.

“I’m still waiting to speak to Bow (Mark Bowen) after, see where we are with that, but it’s getting very frustrating and we might need another one in there to be fair.”

The Verdict:

The Royals are certainly in need of someone like Sarr to shake up their defence after yesterday’s 4-0 humiliation at Rotherham United, with last season’s defensive vulnerabilities creeping back into play.

They will also benefit from having the likes of Scott Dann and Sam Hutchinson at their disposal when the duo return, though it remains to be seen whether either of them can stay fit.

If they can, they could be crucial to the Royals’ survival hopes and you just feel competition for the likes of Tom Holmes and Tom McIntyre will be needed to keep them on their toes.

Unfortunately, the Berkshire side don’t have the freedom to bring in many more central defenders considering the restrictions they are operating within, with other areas needing to be prioritised first.

The left wing-back spot simply must be addressed as a matter of urgency – and another attacking midfielder would also be ideal to give them more firepower going forward. A striker would be good too if Puscas was to leave.