Tiago Ilori has left Liverpool for Reading, joining the Championship promotion hopefuls in a deal worth £3.75 million.
The Portuguese centre-back moved to Merseyside in 2013, signing from Sporting CP, with the Primeira Liga side receiving an initial £3.5 million.
After just three appearances for the club over three-and-a-half years, with his spell including loans with Granada, Bordeaux and Aston Villa, Ilori has parted ways with the Reds.
Liverpool have made a small profit on Ilori’s sale, and will also receive 35 percent of any sell-on fee should the 23-year-old leave Reading.
Under Jaap Stam, Reading are hoping to secure promotion to the Premier League this season, and currently sit third in the Championship table, six points behind second-placed Newcastle United.
The Royals suffered a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Stam’s former club, Manchester United, in the FA Cup third round two days before Ilori’s arrival, with Reading in need of defensive reinforcement.
A tall, quick, composed centre-back, Ilori should provide that, while his move to the Madejski Stadium should finally give the London-born talent the game time he requires.
Ilori has not played regular senior football since his season with Bordeaux in 2014/15, but even then he made just 15 appearances.
Dropping down to the Championship should give Ilori the chance to prove his worth in England, and Reading should benefit from his presence.
His only outings for Liverpool came under Jurgen Klopp in last season’s FA Cup, but Ilori then rejoined the Reds’ U23s for the current campaign, turning out alongside Mamadou Sakho.
Sakho is likely to be one of the next players to leave the club, with the Frenchman weighing up his options, while Liverpool seek to secure the most suitable permanent deal.
Pedro Chirivella was the first to depart this January, joining Eredivisie side Go Ahead Eagles on loan until the end of the season.
All the best, Tiago.
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