How much Reading FC may have to pay Portsmouth star Matt Ritchie in wages | OneFootball

The 35-year-old may need to take another pay cut if he is to make the move to the League One outfit.

Matt Ritchie may be facing a return to League One for the first time since the 2012/13 campaign, as Reading have registered an interest in bringing the 35-year-old to the club.

Ritchie returned to Portsmouth last summer and enjoyed a productive season, starting 28 of his 39 Championship appearances and captaining the side on numerous occasions towards the tail end of the campaign.

However, despite this, the winger is out of favour at Fratton Park, and Reading have approached the 35-year-old with a route out, according to The News.

Pompey are willing to mutually terminate Ritchie's contract, which piqued the interest of Reading, who, like any other League One side, would jump at the chance to bring Ritchie to their club for free.

The News do add that Championship interest is still there for the veteran wideman, however, and if a second-tier club does come in for Ritchie, you'd expect that they'd have a lot more wage budget to free up to secure his services.

The 35-year-old did take a wage cut to join Portsmouth, and may not be willing to take another so soon after if Reading did come calling.

How much Matt Ritche is estimated to have earned at Portsmouth

Matt Ritchie signed a two-year deal at Portsmouth last summer, which, according to Capology's estimates, saw the former Newcastle United winger earn £15,000 per week.

Capology further estimates that Ritchie earned £45,000 per week at Newcastle during the final five years he spent at St James' Park, meaning he was taking a significant pay cut to move to Fratton Park.

That still immediately made the 35-year-old the joint highest-paid player at the club at the time, and with his contribution levels projected to decrease in 2025/26, it makes sense as to why John Mousinho and co may want to offload Ritchie as soon as possible.

Ritchie could likely be angling for a contract worth a similar amount as his career begins to head towards the twilight, and if Championship sides are sniffing around for his services, most, you'd expect, would easily be able to afford that, if they saw him as a regular first-team player.

Reading, on the other hand, may struggle.

Whilst the future is looking a lot brighter at Reading now that Rob Couhig is the new owner at the club, the rise back up to where many expect the Royals to be will need a little more patience as they need to build a side ready to challenge near the top of League One.

The past few seasons have seen Reading rely a lot on young talent and unknown quantities who do not demand much per week in terms of wages, meaning that the Royals come into the 2025/26 League One campaign with the division's lowest estimated payroll of around £42,300 per week - per Capology.

Adding a wage of even £10,000 per week to that small bill is likely going to prove to be impossible for Reading this summer, and whilst they have been busy so far in the transfer window and have been ambitious in their signings, Ritchie could prove to be one step too far.

Although if you don't buy the ticket, you don't win the raffle, and if they can persuade the 35-year-old to make another drop down to the third-tier this season, then Noel Hunt will have a top-quality operator on that right side.