Reading FC transfer nightmare has been eased by Nottingham Forest | OneFootball

Tyler Bindon has been loaned back to the Royals following his move to the City Ground, which is a big boost for Noel Hunt's side.

Reading saw two key players leave the club during the January transfer window, with new Nottingham Forest addition Tyler Bindon becoming their second big exit on deadline day.

Sam Smith also left the club during the latter stages of the window, with the forward making the switch to League One rivals Wrexham.

Smith will be a big miss, considering the club wasn't able to bring in an orthodox central striker to replace him.

He may not have thrived during his first spell at the Select Car Leasing Stadium after coming through the academy, but he did an excellent job during his second stay in Berkshire, establishing himself as a key player and playing a big role in keeping the Royals afloat in the third tier last term.

The forward was able to build on that this season, with his goals helping Noel Hunt's side to climb into the play-offs, so his exit will be sorely felt.

New addition Billy Bodin can score goals at this level, but he's unlikely to be a sufficient replacement, considering he isn't a natural centre forward.

This isn't Bodin's fault, precisely because he isn't a striker, but he can still make some valuable contributions and it will be interesting to see what impact he can have.

Forest's Bindon, meanwhile, has been loaned back to the Royals for the remainder of the season, which is a big boost.

Reading FC retaining Tyler Bindon for the rest of the season could be vital

Since signing in the summer of 2023, New Zealand international Bindon has been a real asset.

He may have struggled at right-back when he was forced to play there last season, but it's clearly not his position and he has grown into a monster in central defence.

Showing his class last term and forming an excellent partnership with Amadou Mbengue during the final months of last term to keep the Berkshire side in the third tier, he has been able to take his game to a new level this season.

The Berkshire side may have struggled away from home at times this season, but Bindon has rarely put a foot wrong and the Kiwi deserves a huge amount of credit, considering he's only 20 at this stage and hadn't played professional football before the start of last season.

Adapting very well to life in England, that has helped him to impress and stand out in the third tier, and his consistency is one of the most impressive things about him.

Bindon may only be impressing in League One at this stage, but it seems clear that he could make the step up to the Championship without any issues, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he's loaned out to a club in the English second tier in the summer.

With his performances in mind, as well as the fact Mbengue is out injured and the Royals have so little depth in their centre-back area, it's a major relief for the club that they have retained the New Zealand international for the remainder of the season.

Harlee Dean may have stepped up well in recent times, but there are no other senior options behind him, Bindon and Mbengue.

Jeriel Dorsett is out for a long while, Abraham Kanu has struggled at the back at times and the likes of him, Louie Holzman and Michael Stickland need more time to develop before they are thrown in as regular starters.

With this in mind, losing Bindon on Monday without a loan back would have been catastrophic and probably would have had a detrimental impact on results.

Bindon only had five months left on his contract at the time of his move to Forest.

With this in mind, it made sense for the Royals to cash in on him now, rather than lose him for a small compensation fee at the end of the season.

It seemed inevitable that he would move on in the summer, so selling him and loaning him back is a sensible move.

Forest may also be paying either a portion or all of the New Zealand international's wage - and with Dean Bouzanis also leaving the SCL Stadium yesterday - that could open up a spot for a free agent to come in.