Reading have parted ways with another first-team player, as Tyler Bindon has been sold to Premier League side Nottingham Forest. He follows Sam Smith out of the club, with the centre-forward having joined Wrexham late last week for a reported fee of around £2 million.

Although the fee for Bindon has not been disclosed, Reading Chronicle journalist James Earnshaw suggests it is likely to be lower than Smith’s transfer fee. While Bindon (20) has a significantly higher potential ceiling than Smith (26), the young defender was also set to be out of contract this summer. Given that, a lower transfer fee seems reasonable.

Crucially for Reading, Bindon will remain at the club on loan until the end of the season. Similar to Luton Town’s deal for fellow centre-back Tom Holmes—who was sold but allowed to stay on loan—Forest have provided Reading with the best of both worlds, ensuring immediate squad stability while securing Bindon’s long-term future.

Even in ideal off-field circumstances (not that anyone at Reading is familiar with those), retaining Bindon beyond the summer would have been highly unlikely. He is an immensely talented centre-back, and the club have arguably been fortunate to keep him as long as they have. It is no surprise to see him join a Premier League side, and there is every reason to believe he will thrive at the highest level.

This deal benefits all parties: Bindon earns a well-deserved move, Reading receive much-needed financial relief, Noel Hunt retains one of his key players for the season, and Nottingham Forest secure a highly promising talent for the future. While it is bittersweet knowing Bindon will not be at Reading next season, this is one of those rare transfers where everyone comes out a winner.

Hopefully, Bindon will enjoy better fortunes than his former defensive partner Nelson Abbey, who has struggled to progress since leaving a year ago. Following a breakout season with 22 League One appearances for Reading, Abbey has made just four appearances for Olympiacos and one during a brief loan spell at Swansea City, before being recalled in January and sent back out to Rio Ave.

Since joining Reading in 2023, Bindon has demonstrated his immense potential, and it would be a real shame if his development were to stall due to a lack of game time at Forest. Perhaps they might consider sending him back on loan next season as well?

A Meteoric Rise for Bindon

Bindon’s ascent has been nothing short of remarkable. When he first signed, he was such an unknown quantity that there was not even a Getty Images photo of him—he appeared more likely to be an academy prospect.

However, a standout performance in the League Cup against Millwall—where several young players earned first-team opportunities—quickly put him on the radar. He followed that up with an assured display in the 1-0 victory over Cheltenham Town a week later and has never looked back.

From that point, Bindon missed only four league matches for the remainder of the 2023/24 campaign. Across all competitions, he made 44 appearances, primarily as a centre-back, though he was briefly deployed as a right-back due to injuries. Throughout the season, he formed defensive partnerships with Holmes and Abbey, but with Holmes sidelined and Abbey sold in the latter half of the campaign, he was paired with Amadou Mbengue for the run-in.

The Bindon-Mbengue partnership proved to be Reading’s strongest centre-back duo in a long time, blending Mbengue’s aggression and energy with Bindon’s composure and intelligence, both in and out of possession.

Individually, Bindon excelled. He was a clear winner of Reading’s 2023/24 Rookie of the Season award, and he has continued his fine form into the 2024/25 season, playing in every League One fixture so far. His performances have only improved, with his crowning achievement coming in December when he comfortably won the club’s Player of the Month award with approximately 70% of the vote.

In fact, based on average player ratings, Bindon (6.4/10) is second only to Joel Pereira (6.5/10). If he maintains this level of performance, there is no reason to doubt that he could be named Reading’s Player of the Season outright.