"No offence" - Wrexham told to stay away from Reading FC player as £5m transfer claim issued | OneFootball

Charlie Savage has been linked with a move to the newly-promoted Red Dragons after an impressive season with the Royals

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Reading have been urged not to sell £5-million-rated star midfielder Charlie Savage to newly-promoted Wrexham this summer, following reports of their interest in his signature, while the Red Dragons have been told to look elsewhere for more Championship-ready players due to his lack of experience at the level.

Savage joined Reading from boyhood club Manchester United in 2023, after he had made just one appearance for the Red Devils' first-team and moved on to try and gain valuable senior experience elsewhere.

The Royals have struggled both on and off the pitch in recent years, but the Leicester-born midfielder - son of ex-Premier League stalwart Robbie - was a shining light in their quest for promotion from League One over the last campaign.

The 22-year-old has now been linked with a move to Wrexham, who went up to the Championship automatically, after Reading missed out on the play-offs. He would be a big loss for Noel Hunt's side this summer, and it certainly seems possible that he could make the step-up ahead of the new season.

Wrexham

The football played on the pitch at Reading has almost become an afterthought in recent years, especially for neutral supporters, with so many headlines being dominated by owner Dai Yongge and his feud with fans about the potential sale of the club, which has only recently come to an end.

That means that Savage's impressive performances for the Royals have arguably gone under the radar since his 2023 arrival. He registered five goals and three assists in 43 appearances in his maiden campaign at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, and won plaudits for his standout showings as a box-to-box midfielder under Ruben Selles.

Reading struggled on the pitch last season, however, and so talk of him moving elsewhere was scarce following their 17th-placed finish in the third-tier. That has changed in the past season though, and he was a crucial part of their push for the play-offs, which has, in turn, alerted higher-placed clubs to his potential availability this summer.

Savage contributed seven goals and 13 assists in 51 appearances in all competitions in 2024/25, and those sorts of numbers are certainly not the norm for a number eight that can also play as a holding midfielder, but they highlight just how much he has improved over the last campaign to really come into his own in the third-tier.

FLW's Royals fan pundit, Johnny Hunt, would understandably like the 22-year-old to remain at the Madejski Stadium beyond the summer, but while Wrexham have been mooted with an interest in his services, he does not believe he should join the newly-promoted Red Dragons because of their usual transfer dealings and his lack of experience of playing in the second-tier up to now.

“It’s a tricky one. I think Man United have got some sort of deal with the sell-on fee, and they need all the help they can get after losing (in the Europa League final)," Johnny told FLW.

“So…I don’t know. God, I don’t want Charlie Savage to leave Reading. Dropping down to League One after being in the under-21’s at United has been great for him.

“As a player, he has developed physically, mentally, and everything else that you want to see as a player.

“We don’t want him to go. Why would you? Everyone has their price, I guess. I’d say (he is worth) three, four, five million.

“I think, for Wrexham, there are probably players that have played at a level that would suit them more than Charlie would. That’s no offence to Charlie, he just hasn’t played at that level.

“If they have got an open cheque book then they can find players that would probably do the job to get them up to where they want to be quicker (than Savage).

“I just want Charlie to stay at Reading, and that’s my honest hope.”

Savage has been linked with numerous clubs over the last few transfer windows - it will be tough for Reading to keep hold of him

Savage is likely admired by clubs throughout the EFL, and his form and constant availability for the Royals will surely see him further touted for a move in the upcoming summer window.

CaughtOffside reported in January that both Sheffield United and Norwich City, along with fellow Championship side Stoke City, were monitoring him ahead of a possible move, while the same report claimed that those interested clubs were confident of getting a deal done for the youngster that month.

A move away from the SCL Stadium did not materialise, potentially due to the fee that Reading were demanding for his services midway through the campaign. A sell-on clause inserted into his contract guarantees Man United 50 percent of any future transfer, meaning that the Royals will not want to sell him on the cheap to an interested club, and instead get the best fee possible to aid their own financial concerns.

Savage is under contract in RG2 until 2027, so the Royals will not feel any pressure to cave into measly bids for his signature, even in their precarious current financial position that looks to be on the up following Rob Couhig's recent takeover.

It is highly possible that those clubs will revisit their previous interest in the coming months though, with much more scope for them to be able to afford a sizeable fee.

Wrexham have also joined the race for his services now, and the chance to represent a team on a bigger stage and potentially thrust himself into contention for Wales national team selection is surely one that will appeal to Savage.

Whether Reading will be able to persuade the 22-year-old that he is better off playing for a League One team that has little guarantee of success over a possible promotion-chasing Championship side remains to be seen.

It will certainly be an interesting situation to keep an eye on, and Royals supporters will have to pray that clubs overlook his talents and do not make concrete approaches for Savage this summer, or he could well be on his way out after two impressive years.