Owing to their consistency in the Championship, Reading came very close to securing a promotion to the Premier League last term. However, the Royals failed to cross the last hurdle and lost to Huddersfield Town in the penalty shoot-out at Wembley Stadium. However, Jaap Stam did carve a commendable season and no wonder the board is backing him for the upcoming term.
It is implied that Stam is keen to bolster his squad to construct themselves into a side better than they were last season and was keen to add Aston Villa’s versatile man, Leandro Bacuna to his arsenal. However, Sky Sports have claimed that the Villans have rejected Reading’s £1.5million bid, as a consequence of which Bacuna’s possibility of making a move to Madejski Stadium has apparently ended.
Having emerged through the youth ranks of Groningen, the Curacao international was promoted to the senior side of the Netherlands based outfit. He was quick to cement his stature and earned a good name for himself, which drew admirers to him. Bacuna signed for the Villans way back in the summer transfer window of 2013 and has inked his name as one of the most versatile professionals in English football.
Despite having the potential to be a box-to-box midfielder, the 25-year-old has been mostly used as a right-back and is capable enough to ply his trade as a right winger, right-sided midfielder or a central midfielder as well. Last season in the English second tier, Bacuna accumulated 30 appearances to his name for the Lions, whilst which he scored a goal, created 26 chances and made 30 tackles, 28 interceptions and 45 clearances.
His sheer individual talents might not be very appealing and might not have the calibre in him to dictate the result of a game but then, he is worth having in the side, even if that would mean using him as a substitute more often than not. The animosity in the Championship isn’t unknown, so if injury woes strike them, he can be engineered as a man to pull the strings together.
He is a decent crosser of the ball, is a very athletic player and it has to penned down that his work-rate is very intriguing and yes, he is the “Jack of all trades, master of none”. Although he might not be a world class player, his value isn’t as low as £1.5million and frankly speaking, Aston Villa have indeed done the right thing in not letting Reading prise out their versatile player.
