Jack Marriott tipped for possible Reading FC exit - 'football is a funny business' | OneFootball

FLW's Reading fan pundit has commented on the potential interest that may surface for Jack Marriott this coming summer

There arguably hasn't been a more impressive striker in League One this season than Reading's Jack Marriott.

The 31-year-old arrived at the Select Car Leasing Stadium in the summer from Wrexham, where he'd been a useful backup to the plethora of talented strikers at the Stok Cae Ras in both League Two and League One, but had then become surplus to requirements in the Championship.

After a few years of being a backup or putting up semi-decent goal returns at Fleetwood TownPeterborough United and Sheffield Wednesday, no one was expecting Marriott to perform as he has this year, scoring 16 goals in just 20 League One starts.

Third-tier fans have been getting flashbacks to the Marriott who tore defences apart while in his first spell at London Road, where he netted a league-high 27 in 44 in the 2017/18 campaign to earn a move to Derby County, which cost the Rams up to £5 million.

Now, while Reading may not be in line to earn £5 million from a possible Marriott sale this summer, there may be some interest from Championship sides keen to bring in someone with as prolific a scoring record as the 31-year-old.

Reading fan pundit comments on Jack Marriott's future

Marriott is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, which he picked up back in February. Reading manager Leam Richardson is hopeful that he can return towards the end of the season, as his goals may be enough to fire the Royals back to the Championship.

FLW's Reading fan pundit, Johnny Hunt, is hoping that his side finds success in the play-offs, of which his side is two points adrift, as he feels that remaining in League One could see Marriott, plus other key players, departing.

"If we don't go up this summer, Marriott will certainly look to go, and maybe a few others, too. The likes of Lewis Wing and Charlie Savage may feel that their next steps are to play at a higher level," he said.

"Hopefully they'd look to be loyal and stay at Reading, but football is a funny business.

"Marriott is a goalscorer at this level; he's been very good for us, and we're missing him at the moment due to injury. But would he be able to score regularly at a higher level? I don't know.

"But there'd certainly be interest in him, as there would be for those other players, and maybe even Joel Pereira and some others, too."

Hunt hasn't ruled out the possibility of his side winding up finishing in the play-offs, though, which would allow Marriott and co to play in the Championship at their current club.

Since Leam Richardson came to the Select Car Leasing Stadium in late October, the Royals have picked up 43 points in 25 games — the fourth most in the division, joint with current third-placed side Bolton Wanderers.

They were in the top six momentarily before their latest defeat against Stevenage, too, so there's definitely the capabilities for Richardson to lead Reading back into the play-offs between now and May 2.

"There's still a good chance of us going up. If we can get our act together and get in the play-offs, we'd certainly do well," he added.

"When you start to get some success, or in Jack's case, score a lot of goals, then there'll of course be interest, and hopefully we can fend it off."

Certain factors may benefit Reading in a possible Jack Marriott transfer battle this summer

While there's no doubting that Marriott has been one of the best frontmen in League One this season, there may be some factors that would mean that he may not be the most attractive buy for a Championship club in the summer.

First, he turns 32 in the early stages of the 2026/27 campaign, meaning that they'd likely be getting a couple, possibly three years out of him before his career starts to wind down.

There wouldn't be much of a financial gain, and with there still being two years left on his current Reading deal, the Royals will likely want a fee to pry him away from the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

And secondly, his injury record this year hasn't been the best this year. This current lay-off is the second hamstring issue he's faced this season, after missing a month and a half earlier in the campaign. He's already missed 11 league games this term, and will likely miss more between now and May.

This has easily been Marriott's best season since that Golden Boot-winning campaign at Peterborough, but it may not be met with as much transfer talk as many may fear in Berkshire.

But, the one way to ease that immediately would be to finish inside the top six, and if Marriott can be back for the final few games of the season, plus then the post-season action, you'd give Leam Richardson's side a good chance of securing a Championship return for the first time since 2022/23.