Reading make first signing of January

Reading have completed their first signing of January, bringing in Sporting Lisbon captain Daniel Carrico.

The 24-year old, who can play in central defence or central midfield, has signed a two-and-a-half year deal, with an option of a further year at the end of his contract. The fee for Carrico is believed to be around £600,000, with a sell-on clause included in the deal.

Daniel has also been capped on numerous occasions at under 21 level for Portugal, while being on the fringes of the national team. Despite primarily playing as a centre back in the early days of his career, under the most recent management of Ricardo Sá Pinto at Lisbon, he has been deployed as a defensive midfielder.

This is a superb signing for us, considering his stature and experience on the European stage. I would presume that Carrico would now occupy the under-fire defensive midfield spot of Mikele Leigertwood, but the club have said he hasn't played an awful lot in recent months, so is not likely to be rushed into first team action.

Wiki page: Daniel Carrico

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