[themaclad]

Reading have agreed to sign midfielder Tom Ince on a three-year deal upon the expiry of his contract with fellow Championship club Stoke City.

Ince, 30, spent the second half of the 2021-22 season on loan with the Royals and scored twice in 15 appearances as they secured survival by four points.

His father, ex-England midfielder Paul, took over as Reading boss a month after Ince arrived in Berkshire.

"His talent has always spoken for itself," boss Paul told the club site.

"Thomas is my son. But, importantly, he is a Reading player the moment he arrives at the training ground every morning.

"He still wants to improve, he still wants to succeed and he proved his worth here at Reading in the latter stages of last season."

Former Liverpool trainee Ince has made 425 senior appearances and scored 94 goals, mostly in the Championship, for clubs including Blackpool, Crystal Palace, Hull, Derby although he did spend a full season in the Premier League with Huddersfield Town.

He has spent four seasons at Stoke but has been loaned out in each of the past two campaigns, to Luton in 2020-21 and Reading last term.

[themaclad]

Reading have signed Australian goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis on a three-year contract.

The 31-year-old has spent the last two seasons with Sutton United, helping them win promotion to the EFL for the first time in 2021.

He played 53 games last season to help them to eighth place in League Two.

Bouzanis began his career with Liverpool's academy and has spent time with Accrington Stanley, Oldham Athletic and Melbourne City since.

"Dean is a goalkeeper who I know will put his body on the line and throw everything into keeping the ball out of the net for this football club," said Reading manager Paul Ince.

"He becomes part of what is now a solid-looking goalkeeping department, led by the hugely experienced Tony Warner, and I am confident he will be a real asset to the club this season and beyond."

Meanwhile defender Ben Wyatt has also left Sutton at the end of his contract.

The 26-year-old made 60 appearances for the club after signing from St Albans in September 2019.

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Reading have signed midfielder Jeff Hendrick from Newcastle United on a season-long loan.

The 30-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at Queens Park Rangers in the Championship where he played 11 games for the club.

"He has the ability and experience to play in a number of roles across the midfield," Reading manager Paul Ince told the club website.

"He works hard, wins the ball back, can pick a pass and can score goals too."

Hendrick began his career at Derby in 2010 and scored 26 goals in 214 appearances at Pride Park over eight seasons in the Championship.

The Republic of Ireland international spent six seasons in the Premier League with Burnley and Newcastle United, between 2016 and 2022, but saw limited action with the Magpies last season before a loan spell with QPR.

Reading remain under an English Football League transfer embargo and can only sign free agents or players on loan.

They recently signed central midfielder Tyrese Fornah from Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan.

The Royals start their campaign at Blackpool on 30 July.

'Experience welcome'
Analysis - BBC Radio Berkshire sports presenter and former Reading defender Ady Williams

A welcome signing that has come at a good time. An experienced international is always welcome in the dressing room, particularly when there will be so much emphasis on the younger players this season.

Losing Danny Drinkwater, John Swift, Josh Laurent and Andy Rinomhota is a blow, and would hurt any side, but Hendrick brings in that experience that has now left the football club.

He has played at the highest level and will need to hit the ground running. It didn't work out with QPR, hopefully it will in the blue and white hoops of Reading.

[themaclad]

Veteran Republic of Ireland striker Shane Long has rejoined Reading.

The 35-year-old has agreed a one-year contract at the club where he made his name after first moving to England from Cork City in 2005.

Long, who has scored 119 goals in a near 17-year career, left Southampton earlier this summer after an eight-year spell with the Premier League side.

He scored 54 goals in 203 games in his first spell with the Royals between 2005 and 2011.

In his first season at Reading Long scored five goals in 15 games as the Royals secured promotion to the Premier League.

Long went on to play for West Bromwich Albion and Hull City in both the Premier League and Championship before a £12m move to Southampton in 2014.

"The arrival of Shane is something of a football fairytale for Reading fans," Reading boss Paul Ince told the club website.

"But make no mistake about it - he is coming into the dressing room purely on the merits of what he can offer this squad out on the pitch."

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Reading have signed former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Sam Hutchinson on a deal until the summer of 2024.

The 32-year-old has been playing with the Royals during pre-season.

Hutchinson began his career in Chelsea's academy and made his first-team debut in 2007 aged 17, before playing on loan for Nottingham Forest and Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem.

He spent six years with the Owls from 2014 before returning last year, playing more than 200 times for them.

"Sam is a player who knows this division inside out and, in training with us during the last few weeks, he has shown me and my coaching staff all we needed to see," said Reading manager Paul Ince.

"Capable of playing at the back or in midfield, he is a true competitor on the pitch - committed in every challenge, hungry for the ball and, importantly, he is a winner."

[themaclad]

Reading have brought in midfielder Mamadou Loum on a season-long loan from Portuguese Champions FC Porto.

Loum moves to the Royals having been on loan last season at Alaves in Spain.

The Senegal international, 25, was part of his country's squad as they won the Africa Cup of Nations in February.

"He was a player highly coveted by a number of clubs, so for Mamadou to choose to join us is a real boost for everyone at the club," said Reading manager Paul Ince.

Loum made 32 appearances in La Liga for Alaves and scored twice, despite the club's relegation, while he will hope to be part of the Senegal squad for the World Cup in Qatar in November.

He is Reading's ninth signing ahead of the new season, which begins for them with a trip to Blackpool on Saturday.

[themaclad]

Reading have re-signed former England striker Andy Carroll on a short-term contract until January.

The 33-year-old had a brief spell with the Royals last season before ending the campaign with West Brom.

He could feature for Paul Ince's men at home to Wigan on Saturday.

"He is a leader, both on and off the pitch, and having trained with us all this week I can already see the positive influence he will have," Ince told the Championship club's website.

[themaclad]

Former England striker Andy Carroll has signed a new contract with Reading until the end of next season.

Carroll's current deal was set to end after this weekend's Championship game against Queen's Park Rangers.

The former England striker, 34, has scored four goals in 17 games this season after a short spell at West Brom.

"AC is the perfect example to follow for any young striker," said Royals manager Paul Ince.

"Not simply in the chances he creates or the goals he scores, but the phenomenal work rate he shows in every minute of every game."

Carroll scored 71 Premier League goals for Newcastle, Liverpool and West Ham and made nine appearances for England.

He has scored six goals in 24 games in his two spells with the Royals

[themaclad]

Reading have signed midfielder Cesare Casadei on loan from Chelsea until the end of the season.

The 20-year-old has made eight starts for their under-21's side and scored four goals since joining the club in August.

"He is comfortable on the ball and powerful in possession," manager Paul Ince told the club website.

"Our midfield resources have been stretched all season and Casadei will bring us another option in the middle."

Casadei came through Inter Milan's youth ranks and was part of their title-winning under-17 squad before progressing to train with the senior team.

He has also played for Italy's under-21 team.

"I am very pleased that we have been able to secure the services of a dynamic young player," said Reading head of football operations, Mark Bowen.

"I'm sure Cesare will hit the ground running and play an important role in the remaining 18 games of the campaign."