Harper on the Brink

Vital Reading understands that Royals midfielder James Harper is on the brink of returning to the Premier League.

After various reports linking him to West Ham, it appears that the former Arsenal trainee will be heading a lot further than east London, to the barbaric, barren wasteland that is Middlesbrough.

Harper joined the Royals in 2001 for a fee of around £400,000 and has played in three different divisions for the Royals. However, after making 275 appearances for the Royals, it appears that Harper has decided to move on.

Middlesbrough have reportedly offered £3.5 million for the midfielder, and with Harper eager to return to the Premier League and the Royals looking to re-build for the new season, the deal could be completed by the end of the week.

Although Harper will be a big loss to the Royals, it seems that the move could be beneficial for both parties and now is probably the right time for the former Reading player of the year to move on.