Royals secure deal for Ireland international

Reading have completed the signing of Fulham defender Stephen Kelly for an undisclosed fee.

The 29-year old signed a two-and-a-half year contract at the Madejski Stadium on Friday evening and could even play a part in today’s encounter with West Brom. The fee for Kelly has been left undisclosed by the Royals, but is believed to be in the region of £1.2 million, taking the January spend to approximately £2 million.

Kelly, who has been capped 32 times for the Republic of Ireland, is the club’s third signing of the January window, after deals for Daniel Carrico and Hope Akpan. The former Spurs full-back has only made two appearances in the Premier League for Fulham this campaign and was keen to secure regular football away from Craven Cottage.

This transfer does raise a few questions. I’m glad we have brought in the experience of Kelly, but we’re Reading fans holding out for a bigger name? Also, where does this leave Chris Gunter and Shaun Cummings in the pecking order? You can only imagine one of those players is departing from the club in the near future.

Wiki page: Stephen Kelly