SPECIAL REPORT
READING took their tally of January loan signings to four with the arrivals of Nelson Oliveira and Emiliano Martinez this week.
Both have signed on shortterm deals until the end of the season with striker Oliveira joining from Championship rivals Norwich City, while goalkeeper Martinez arrives from Arsenal.
The signing of Oliveira ends a protracted saga which has seen the Royals trying to snap up the Portuguese international since 2017 when Jaap Stam was in charge.
But they have now finally made the breakthrough after he fell out of favour with Canaries boss Daniel Farke, having not played at all for the first team this season.
“I’m very pleased to join Reading,” said Oliveira.
“I spoke with Jose (Gomes) and I feel a lot of love for me to come here and that’s important for me.
“It is a good opportunity for my career in these four months to get myself playing games and try to help the team.
“I know Reading are struggling a little bit with results but I know the players and if you look at the squad, I would say there is 80% of the squad that two years ago went to the play-off final so the quality is there.
“We just need to start winning games.”
Oliveira, 27, has earned 17 senior caps for his country, scoring twice, and was part of the squad which reached the Euro 2012 semi-finals.
Despite featuring 40 times for the Canaries last term, he is yet to play at all this season but has previous in the Championship, netting 28 goals in 92 games at this level for both Norwich and Nottingham Forest.
Once dubbed “Portugal’s Cantona”, Oliveira has also played briefly in the Premier League for Swansea City having initially come through the ranks at Benfica, where he featured and scored in the Champions League.
“Nelson is an exciting striker whom we have admired from afar for a number of years now,” said chief executive Nigel Howe.
“He has international pedigree, experience of European football has played in the top tier in his native Portugal, Spain, France and the United Kingdom.
“Crucially, he has also flourished in front of goal at Championship level, so I look forward to seeing him represent the Royals for the remainder of the campaign.”
Reading boss Jose Gomes added: “Nelson is a striker who certainly possesses that vital killer instinct.
“He is strong, powerful and technically good with the ball at his feet. And he thrives on scoring goals. So we are delighted he has chosen to join us for the final 18 games of our season.”
Oliveira will be hoping to make his Royals debut in the crunch relegation six-pointer against Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday evening (8pm), alongside fellow new signing Martinez.
Martinez, 26, has spent this season as third choice stopper at Arsenal behind Bernd
Leno and Petr Cech, but did keep a clean sheet in his only appearance for the first team, against Qarabag in the Europa League.
The Argentine has made nine senior appearances for the Gunners in total since joining them in 2011 and also has Championship experience having played on loan at Rotherham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sheffield Wednesday.
“I am delighted we have been able to attract a goalkeeper of Emi’s undoubted ability to Reading,” said manager Gomes.
“He will provide excellent competition for the goalkeeper’s position and adds quality to our group.”
Martinez has played at Madejski Stadium once before, as Arsenal goalkeeper during the infamous 7-5 League Cup clash back in 2012.
And he is excited to get back out onto the pitch in Berkshire again.
“Knowing Reading’s history, it’s a great club,” said Martinez.
“I know the league, I know Reading and once I had the opportunity I didn’t doubt it, I just wanted to sign straightaway.
“I had loads of teams who wanted me in the summer but the (Arsenal) manager (Unai Emery) wanted me to stay at the club. It’s OK to train but I needed to play.
“I know everything about this league and that’s why I chose Reading. I know all the players and I know how they play.
“At Arsenal we play from the back. It’s one of my strengths, to play out from the back. It suits me and I’m looking forward to it.”
Attention is now turning to moving players on this month with Marc McNulty and Vito Mannone both pushed further down the pecking order following the arrivals this week while David Meyler has also been frozen out under Gomes.
The Royals could still look to add one more player to the squad before next week’s deadline, likely to be another loan, despite already having five loanees on the books with this month’s quartet of arrivals joining Saeid Ezatolahi in the squad.
Championship rules permit just five loan players per matchday squad, but Ezatolahi is still a way off returning from injury.
The plans could alter depending on the future of Tiago Ilori. The centre-back is being heavily linked with a move to Sporting Lisbon, but Reading do not want to sanction the deal unless they can find a replacement.
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