Reggae Boy defender Moore joins Stoke from Reading
LONDON, England (CMC) — Reggae Boy Liam Moore, who was stripped of the Reading captaincy last month after saying he wanted to leave the English club, has joined Championship rivals Stoke City on a deal until the end of the season.
The deal, struck on Monday’s final day of the January transfer window, saw Stoke midfielder Tom Ince, who is of Barbadian heritage and the son of former England defender Paul Ince, move in the opposite direction to the Royals, also on loan.
Centre-back Moore, 29, has made more than 230 first-team appearances for Reading in more than five years at the Berkshire club. He made his debut for Jamaica in a 4-1 defeat against the United States last March.
“I’m delighted that we have managed to get the signing of Liam over the line before the deadline. As well as experience, he will bring versatility to our squad for the second half of the season,” Stoke manager Michael O’Neill said.
Ince, 30, who began his career with Liverpool, and also enjoyed successful spells at Blackpool and Derby County before joining Stoke in 2018, has scored 92 goals in his career, 14 of those at Stoke.
Kasey Palmer, a Reggae Boy who seemed likely to leave Bristol City, will remain at the Championship club — as will Bermuda captain Nahki Wells.
The 25-year-old midfielder Palmer had been strongly tipped to join rivals Queens Park Rangers while Cardiff City, another Championship club, eyed up a loan move for 31-year-old Wells, another of the club’s higher earners, to plug a gap after striker Kieffer Moore left to join Bournemouth.
The Welsh outfit had an approach for out-of-favour striker Wells turned back on Sunday and an improved offer on Monday was also rejected. Wells, with just one goal to his name this term, was the club’s leading scorer with 10 goals last season.
League One outfit Oxford United have re-signed former loanee Marcus Browne, who is of Dominican descent.
Midfielder Browne, 24, who previously had two loan spells with Oxford, has agreed a two-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee from Championship club Middlesbrough.
Browne’s last loan spell saw him help Oxford reach the League One play-off final in the delayed 2019-20 season, including scoring in the first leg of their semi-final against Portsmouth.
Browne failed to make any appearances this season for Boro and was limited to just eight last season for the club he joined from West Ham United in July 2019.
Meanwhile, Crewe Alexandra have signed former West Bromwich Albion midfielder Rekeem Harper, who is eligible to represent Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz, on loan from fellow League One side Ipswich Town for the rest of the season.
The 21-year-old has made 18 appearances for Ipswich since signing from West Brom following their relegation in June. He spent the second half of last season with Birmingham City.
Harper swaps the top half of the table with ninth-placed Ipswich for the bottom half to join Crewe, who lie 22nd in League One, six points shy of safety.