Starting with Reading FC.......

[Cheeky_5]

..........have £2million in the bank, with an ageing defence and weak strikers. What would be the best bargain signings for me?

[smplfc123]

I'm in the same position mate. Although your starting back line isn't necessarily old if you go with Yiadom, Ilori, Moore and Obita. I've promoted Richards up from the U23's for cover at left back and Gunter will be more than able back up on the right for now. I do worry about having McShane and O'Shea being back up though, so I may look to give Osho and Blackett some time there.

I've sold a few players to make funds available to strengthen. Harriot, Bodvardson, Aluko, Jaakkola and Popa.

What formation you going with?

[Jtomsett11]

I am in my second season now with Reading. I'd definitely promote Omar Richards, if using a LB he trumps Obita for me. Potential lower prem player. Loader is also another one to promote, useful across the attacking midfield positions. Finally Tom holmes has great potential and reasonable stats so I promoted him as a back up. I used him, Moore and mcshane with ampadu coming on loan in January (sold ilori and Blackett as both very poor for me).

I sold most of the wingers just keeping barrow and meite, Sims (loan) and loader and McCleary (backup but still effective)

There are some great free transfers and the best is nasri (if you sign during December he is banned until the end of the month but you have no competition) and then I brought in loan signings in the form of sorloth, Choudhury, Lennon and ampadu. You can only have 5 in the squad but for me loans are best with limited wage budget and transfer fees at reading. 

You do heamoreage money in the first season, so getting some of those high earners off your books really helps. Also if you get promoted, note a lot of players have 50-100% bonus clauses in their contracts making them harder to ditch e.g. pops, meyler, McCleary.

 

I posted in the lower league thread on this forum so you can see more there if interested!