Reported Portsmouth and Birmingham midfield target has already revealed which club he'll play for next season
Reported Pompey target Charlie Savage spoke about his future at the end of the 2024-25 season
Pompey have once again been linked with a move for Reading midfielder Charlie Savage.
On Tuesday, Football Insider claimed the Blues were in a four-team domestic battle for the Wales international, who enjoyed a stand-out season for the Royals in League One last season.
The same report also stated Noel Hunt’s side would be seeking £2m if they decided to let the former Manchester United youngster leave the Select Car Leasing Stadium this summer, with clubs from abroad also supposedly showing an interest.
Creative midfielder Savage still has two years remaining on his current Reading deal, which was signed when he arrived from the Red Devils in 2023.
Since then, the 22-year-old has made 95 appearances for the club and established himself as a firm favourite among the Reading fans.
It also appears that the player is in no rush to break the special bond he’s formed with the Royals and its supporters over the past two seasons.
Indeed, amid speculation around his future, the Wales midfielder told BBC Radio Berkshire after his side’s final-day-of-the-season defeat to Barnsley: ‘I've got two more years here so you'll be seeing me next season.’
Charlie Savage commited to Reading
That commitment to Reading will no doubt come as a blow to those clubs hoping to boost their midfield for next season’s Championship with Savage’s undoubted ability.
A post uploaded to X the same day also reaffirms his loyalty to the Royals, who incredibly missed out on a place in last season’s League One play-offs by three points despite their recent financial difficulties.
Savage wrote after his side’s 4-2 defeat to The Tykes: ‘Wasn’t to be today, but can honestly say all of the players gave 110% this season.
‘Thank you to the fans again for sticking with us during the last 2 years, hopefully we showed you all how much it means to play in front of you all! Onto next season.
The message was then followed by a blue heart emoji.
Why Charlie Savage is a man in demand?
When Savage moved to Reading in 2023, the Royals’ then head of football operations, Mark Bowen, said the player had ‘bags of talent’ and was clearly someone who was ‘intent on making an impact as a senior footballer’.
And he’s ultimately been proved right, with the midfielder racking up 96 appearances for the club over the course of the past two seasons.
He’s also scored 12 goals in that period and registered 15 assists as he’s adapted to the demands of senior football with relative ease.
Indeed, his 45 league appearances for Hunt’s side last season was bettered only by defender Tyler Blindon, while his nine assists was the joint-second highest recorded in the third tier behind Leyton Orient’s Jamie Donley (10).
Speaking in January about life at Reading under former Blues striker Hunt, Savage said: ‘With me, I just take each day as it comes. I love playing for Reading, they’ve given me so much. They brought me from a big club, and I’ve played nearly 75 games, so I really enjoy being here and want to continue playing for Noel.’
A player who fits Pompey’s profile
Savage’s clear robustness and availability over the past two seasons will no doubt impress Pompey, whose 2024-25 season was often hamstrung by injuries to key personnel.
His goals and assists from midfield also make him a stand-out performer, with his seven strikes from the engine room last term bettering anything that Andre Dozzell (2) Freddie Potts (1), Isaac Hayden (0) and Marlon Pack (0) managed for the Blues.
Pompey are on the lookout for midfield reinforcements this summer following the returns of loanees Potts (West Ham) and Hayden (Newcastle United) to their respective parent clubs.
Pack’s impact in midfield diminished as last season progressed, and is not guranteed to start there next term. Meanwhile, Abdoulaye Kamara made only five substitute appearances in the league as he struggled to adapt to English football following his move from Borussia Dortmund last summer.
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