Reading have not been able to make it into the top flight and are looking forward to making it another good season in the Championship and try once again to get into the playoffs. The Championship club had made it into the playoff final in the last season, but lost it to Huddersfield Town on penalties and handed over the opportunity to get into the Premier League.
However, the Royals are looking to make amends for the mistakes of the last season and have started the process to rebuild their team for the next term. The club, belonging from the Berkshire county, have started their business in the summer transfer window and are looking to land some of the talented players from the other Championship outfits and have already procured a good goalkeeper in the form of Vito Mannone from Sunderland.
The Black Cats had a disastrous outing in their last season, as they went down into the Championship having been relegated from the top flight. Moreover, they were not able to hold on to some of their key players from the last term and had to let go of young goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and veteran striker Jermain Defoe, who went to join Premier League clubs Everton and Bournemouth respectively. Vito Mannone is the latest name to be added to the list, as he has joined the Royals for a transfer fee of £2 million.
Reading, who lost their goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi to the Saudi outfit Al-Hilal, were poised to make a new signing for the post of a goalkeeper and they have been successful in doing so, having brought in the Italian shot stopper from Sunderland.
The 29-year-old, who had fallen down the pecking order in the last season in the presence of the young English custodian Jordan Pickford, made only 13 appearances for the Black Cats and was supposedly looking for an exit from the Stadium of Light to revive his career in the new season. The opportunity being presented by Reading, it was grabbed with both hands by the Italian as he looks to make a head start in the new season as a part of his three year deal with the Royals.
The Italian ace, who made his debut in 2013 for Sunderland after joining from Arsenal, is known for his ability to handle the ball well and making brilliant saves, establishing himself as a reliable figure beneath the crossbar for Reading. The Royals’ coach, Japp Stam, is sure that Mannone will be a good addition to his side.
