' A bargain buy '

Thursday 29th May 2014.


Cardiff have landed themselves a bargain in signing Reading striker Adam Le Fondre, according to ex-Wales and Royals defender Adrian Williams.

The Bluebirds have bought 27-year-old Le Fondre for an undisclosed fee, believed to be about £1m, from their Championship rivals.
"He's proven at every level, including the Premier League," said Williams.

"He is a fox in the box. Very similar I would imagine to his boss and his boyhood hero Ole Gunnar Solskjaer."

Le Fondre scored 15 league goals this season and had a year remaining on his contract at the Madejski Stadium.

Reading are searching for new owners, with chairman Sir John Madejski saying new investment is "critical".

Williams, who won 13 caps for Wales between 1994 and 2003, says the fee involved for Le Fondre would indicate Reading's urgent need for cash.

"For a proven striker in the Championship, if you're talking a million pounds, in modern day football, that is peanuts," said Williams.

"That is absolutely nothing. I know he'll be on decent wages for three years, but a million pounds is a snip."

Le Fondre started his career with local club Stockport County in 2004, before moving on to Rochdale in 2007 and then Rotherham two years later.

A move to Reading followed in 2011, where he scored 12 goals to help the club to Premier League promotion.

He then found the net 12 times in 34 top-flight appearances as Reading were relegated after winning just six games.

The forward becomes Cardiff manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's fourth signing of the summer so far.

He joins Austrian midfielder Guido Burgstaller,Spanish striker Javi Guerra and former Manchester United forward Frederico Macheda at Cardiff City Stadium.

Did score a fiar few in the Prem when Reading were last there so for a million thats pretty decent!

Did score a fiar few in the Prem when Reading were last there so for a million thats pretty decent!

12

Im happy with it, can see him being more of an impact player but I think we have lacked that over the last few years. at 1m I think its a more than fair deal.

very good signing, I believe he could get 15+ goals this season for us

Reading fan here

I have to say, I'm not too disappointed to sell Le Fondre (however, I would've liked more than £1m for him).

I find that Le Fondre is pretty ineffective when starting matches and is only at top form during transfer windows - he's scored 59% of his goals inside transfer windows in the previous two seasons. He always falls off between February and March as well, he only scored one in his three seasons with us during that time. Also, I don't believe that he does enough off the ball; it's no coincidence that he's only played 50% of the time at Reading.

He scored fifteen last season, with six coming in two consecutive home games and three from penalties. He's a good finisher and with the right service, he will score goals. However, I'm not sure how he'll make the Cardiff team with the quality unfront you possess - looking down your squad, I'd say he's your fifth or sixth best striker.

For £1m though, he isn't an expensive buy and if he does well you're laughing, but if he doesn't then it's a small drop in the ocean. It's win-win for you.

For us, it's a matter of we had to sell to (help) pay a HMRC tax bill. Reading are at a fork in the road - we're either going to get taken over by a billionaire or we're going into administration. Two extremes; we could be battling at the top, or down at the bottom.

He's give us some great moments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXAAqWi1rFw

I hope he does well at Cardiff, but not against us.

Reading fan here

I have to say, I'm not too disappointed to sell Le Fondre (however, I would've liked more than £1m for him).

I find that Le Fondre is pretty ineffective when starting matches and is only at top form during transfer windows - he's scored 59% of his goals inside transfer windows in the previous two seasons. He always falls off between February and March as well, he only scored one in his three seasons with us during that time. Also, I don't believe that he does enough off the ball; it's no coincidence that he's only played 50% of the time at Reading.

He scored fifteen last season, with six coming in two consecutive home games and three from penalties. He's a good finisher and with the right service, he will score goals. However, I'm not sure how he'll make the Cardiff team with the quality unfront you possess - looking down your squad, I'd say he's your fifth or sixth best striker.

For £1m though, he isn't an expensive buy and if he does well you're laughing, but if he doesn't then it's a small drop in the ocean. It's win-win for you.

For us, it's a matter of we had to sell to (help) pay a HMRC tax bill. Reading are at a fork in the road - we're either going to get taken over by a billionaire or we're going into administration. Two extremes; we could be battling at the top, or down at the bottom.

He's give us some great moments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXAAqWi1rFw

I hope he does well at Cardiff, but not against us.

thanks for that Clyde 1998, much appreciated - we've struggled to have any prolific strikers for 3 years now, since Chops and Betty left.

Good luck with HMRC - been there, done that, got the many T shirts doesn't sound like good times are anywhere nearby for you lot anytime soon.

And beware any Malaysia investors lending you £6m to get you out of the shit with the Taxman - you might end up playing in red

CTID

Reading fan here

I have to say, I'm not too disappointed to sell Le Fondre (however, I would've liked more than £1m for him).

I find that Le Fondre is pretty ineffective when starting matches and is only at top form during transfer windows - he's scored 59% of his goals inside transfer windows in the previous two seasons. He always falls off between February and March as well, he only scored one in his three seasons with us during that time. Also, I don't believe that he does enough off the ball; it's no coincidence that he's only played 50% of the time at Reading.

He scored fifteen last season, with six coming in two consecutive home games and three from penalties. He's a good finisher and with the right service, he will score goals. However, I'm not sure how he'll make the Cardiff team with the quality unfront you possess - looking down your squad, I'd say he's your fifth or sixth best striker.

For £1m though, he isn't an expensive buy and if he does well you're laughing, but if he doesn't then it's a small drop in the ocean. It's win-win for you.

For us, it's a matter of we had to sell to (help) pay a HMRC tax bill. Reading are at a fork in the road - we're either going to get taken over by a billionaire or we're going into administration. Two extremes; we could be battling at the top, or down at the bottom.

He's give us some great moments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXAAqWi1rFw

I hope he does well at Cardiff, but not against us.

thanks for that Clyde 1998, much appreciated - we've struggled to have any prolific strikers for 3 years now, since Chops and Betty left.

Good luck with HMRC - been there, done that, got the many T shirts doesn't sound like good times are anywhere nearby for you lot anytime soon.

And beware any Malaysia investors lending you £6m to get you out of the shit with the Taxman - you might end up playing in red

CTID

Thanks

We've had our own problems with foreign investors over the years, most notably Robert Maxwell - who tried to merge us with Oxford. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thames_Va ... s_proposal)

"@charles_watts: From what I'm told the fee for Adam Le Fondre is 'considerably more' than £1m. Closer to £2.5[m] (plus add ons) #ReadingFC"

Local reports at Reading suggests that the Le Fondre deal was a lot higher than I thought it was.

Interesting..

Adam Le Fondre is an interesting buy but I think he will mainly be used as an impact player and will not be a regular starter for us. But a bargain yes as he is a proven goal scorer at all levels.