"You see his potential" - Another Reading FC talent tipped to leave this summer | OneFootball

Football League World asked our Reading fan pundit if he thinks the Royals will sell Andre Garcia this summer

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…

Reading's financial struggles under the failing ownership of Dai Yongge are continuing, but on the field, the Royals have managed to keep their League One play-off hopes alive.

The Berkshire club were hit with a six-point deduction by the EFL in April 2023 due to a breach of the league's profitability and sustainability rules, which cost them their place in the Championship.

Unfortunately for both players and supporters, the Royals have continued to face similar sanctions since plying their trade in League One, amid Yongge's inability to meet the club's HMRC obligations.

Reading's long-term future remains under serious threat, while former manager Ruben Selles, who had done incredibly well in Berkshire under difficult circumstances, left the club to join Championship side Hull City last December.

Reading FC tipped to sell Andre Garcia this summer

Amid the Royals' struggles, Football League World asked our Reading fan pundit, Johnny Hunt, if he thinks youngster Andre Garcia will be sold by the club in the summer.

Garcia has been linked with a Premier League move in recent windows – with Southampton submitting an unsuccessful bid of £2m for the young left-back in January.

Johnny said: "I think there's so much dependent on what goes on with the ownership of the club, if he's sold or not.

"The way things are, yes probably (Garcia will be sold) because we're in no fit position to keep players really.

"Footballing wise, I think he's still learning a lot. He's a raw talent, he's young, he's going to make mistakes.

"You see his potential, but he's got a long way to go, and I think, for a player of his age, he needs to be playing regularly. Probably our level.

"Would he get into the first team of a Championship side? I'm not sure.

"The last thing a kid like that needs is to be sitting on the bench, not getting the game time or going back to playing under-23 football, because he's playing at a level now which is different and, physically, that's a challenge.

"He's got to physically develop as well, which will help his game.

"I wouldn't want him to be sold, because he's a great little player, he's got a long way to go.

"But we just don't know with the ownership issue, whether it will be a question of 'will he have to be sold?'

"Let's hope not."

Frankly, Royals supporters do not currently know what the future of their club will look like beyond the current season, especially if Yongge does not sell the club.

But if their monetary struggles mean that they have to sell the talented Garcia, it would be a tough pill for fans to swallow from a footballing point of view too.

Garcia is just 17 years old, but he has been a fantastic asset for the Royals this campaign, who has made 31 appearances across all competitions.