New Reading boss Leam Richardson has vowed to make the club’s next few transfer windows count as he begins a new era under owner Rob Couhig.
After years of instability under former owner Dai Yongge, the Royals are now targeting sustainable growth following Couhig’s summer takeover. Richardson, the first managerial appointment of the new regime, believes squad building and recruitment will be the foundation of the club’s revival.
🗣️”The next three or four transfer windows are everything for this football club”
A snippet from my chat with Leam Richardson today on Couhig, transfers and the current squad #Readingfc ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/EhPJR0xpIF
— Dan George (@DanGeorgee) November 5, 2025
‘Every transfer window must leave us stronger’
Speaking ahead of his first League One fixture in charge, the former Wigan Athletic and Rotherham United manager said recruitment will determine Reading’s trajectory over the coming seasons.
The club’s financial constraints under Yongge led to transfer embargoes and points deductions, but Richardson insists the focus now is on methodical, sustainable progress.
“The next 3 to 4 transfer windows are everything for this football club in my opinion,” Richardson said. “We will do things in the right, methodical and sustainable way, but I believe that every transfer window you could come out of it stronger than you were before.
“That doesn’t mean loads of additions, but coming out of the January window in a better place than we are now.”
Richardson replaces Noel Hunt, following his departure earlier this year. His first match, a League One trip to Stevenage, comes days after a shock FA Cup exit at Carlisle United — a result that underlined the scale of the task he inherits.
Spoke to Leam Richardson and Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan ahead of tomorrow’s fixture against Stevenage 🔵⚪️
🏥Injuries being manged “day by day” with no concrete timelines
📈Richardson says positives to take away from loss
💪🏽Kelvin ready to step up in place of Marriott#readingfc pic.twitter.com/G371lJ0K5Q— Ramy Abou-Setta (@ramy_abousetta) November 5, 2025
Rebuilding trust and structure
Couhig, who previously owned Wycombe Wanderers, has promised to stabilise Reading after years of mismanagement. His appointment of Richardson reflects a desire to implement a long-term footballing model, with emphasis on player development, infrastructure, and transparency.
Richardson, who guided Wigan to the League One title in 2022, says his objective is to restore professional standards and competitiveness. He wants the Madejski Stadium (currently Select Car Leasing Stadium) to become a place “where habits and standards define success” rather than quick fixes.
“Every place I’ve been we’ve left it in a better state than we found it,” he added. “We’re building an elite working environment to win. That means putting in place the habits and non-negotiables you need to represent this football club properly.”
For Reading supporters, the early signs of structural change under Couhig and Richardson are welcome after years of financial crisis. The challenge now will be to combine financial prudence with progress on the pitch — a balance that could define whether the Royals finally emerge from the turmoil of the past decade.
League One
Richardson’s reign begins in earnest on Thursday night when Reading travel to face Stevenage, hoping to start a chapter built on stability rather than survival.
