Championship side Reading FC have completed the signing of Leonardo Bacuna from Aston Villa as the midfielder joins on a four-year deal. The 25-year-old has good experience of English football and is extremely versatile that could help Reading this campaign.
The 25-year-old Curacao International joins Reading’s summer arrivals Pelle Clement, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, Vito Mannone and Mo Barrow. Speaking on his arrival, manager Jaap Stam said, “He has played Premier League football and brings quality to us. He is the type of player who can play in several positions in the team – in midfield, at the back, or even sometimes as a winger. He is a player with the right mentality and who wants to go forward; these are the types of players that we want to have.”
The best thing about Bacuna would be his immediate impact on the team. He has been playing Championship football for a long time now and immediately made the bench for the Royals against Aston Villa on Tuesday.
Stam had made a terrible start to their Championship campaign this season failing to win in any of the two games but notched up a positive result against Aston Villa. They opened with a loss to Queens Park Rangers and a frustrating draw against Fulham FC, where they couldn’t take advantage despite having one more man.
Bacuna’s arrival could be season changing for them as the 25-year-old brings the much-needed stability to the side. The Groningen-born player has played 131 times for the past four years for Aston Villa and was even seen starting their opening Championship game against Hull on August 5th.
However, his departure won’t be mourned by the Villa fans given how he was taken off the field against Hull City. His substitution was applauded by the fans following his disappointing display with many complaining he was played out of position. Lacuna’s preferred position is a bit of a confusion to many as Steve Bruce has played him right-back, left-back and in various midfield roles, including winger and No.10.
It seems that the midfielder can excel under the right manager given his versatility across the field, but the long string of managers- Paul Lambert, Tim Sherwood, Remi Garde, Roberto Di Matteo and Steve Bruce- have all failed to get the best out of him. Advantages of having Lacuna would be, he is adaptable to any position and uncomplaining about it.
The academy product of FC Groningen, Lacuna is full of energy and most importantly remains largely injury-free. It was Paul Lambert who brought him to Villa in 2013 but he has failed to nail a first team spot.
