It’s great when Reading make a completely surprising signing, isn’t it? Moves for Kyreece Lisbie and Udoka Godwin-Malife had already been leaked before being finalised, but this one wasn’t. Say hello to Jacob Brown, the Royals’ third arrival of the summer.
The 29-year-old had been a free agent, following a departure this summer from fellow League One side Luton Town. He had however spent part of last season on loan at Championship club Portsmouth. He’s agreed a two-year deal with Reading.
Position-wise
he’s capable of playing across the front three. His own preference however is to operate as a number nine.
Leam Richardson said of Brown:
“He’s a player we’ve admired for a long time because he gives you so much. He’s athletic, works incredibly hard for the team, can play in a number of attacking positions and has shown throughout his career that he can score goals at a high level.
“As well as his qualities on the pitch, he’s a brilliant character who brings a wealth of experience and will fit into the culture we’re building here. He has played at the top flight, has international experience with Scotland and has a real desire to come here and be part of what we’re trying to achieve.
“We’re looking forward to working with him. I know he’ll give absolutely everything for this football club and I’m sure our supporters will enjoy watching him in a Reading shirt.”
Brown is a different profile to Reading’s previous two additions, being much more experienced and proven at a higher level. The bulk of his career has been spent in the Championship (north of 200 games), though he’s also played in League One and briefly in the Premier League with Luton Town.
His first major club was Barnsley, where he spent five years between 2015 and 2020, appearing in the second and third tiers and hitting 12 goals in 82 matches. Then came a move to Stoke City and the best goalscoring form of his career: 30 in 141 matches between 2020 and 2023.
Then came a switch to Kenilworth Road – and quite an eclectic few years as the Hatters fought unsuccessfully against relegation from the Premier League before back-to-back relegations to League One. Portsmouth recruited him for the rest of the season on loan midway through the 2025/26 campaign, before Luton released him in May.
How does he fit in at Reading?
Although he can go out wide, with the Royals well stocked in that department, you’d think he’s been primarily earmarked as a centre-forward option. Brown should therefore bring some good competition for Jack Marriott.
What really jumps out at me with this addition is Brown’s work rate. Richardson highlighted that in the quote above, and Portsmouth sporting director Richard Hughes made a similar point when speaking about bringing Brown to Fratton Park earlier this year:
‘When you speak to anyone that has crossed paths with Jacob in football, they will tell you what a good lad he is and how hard he works. It’s never going to be an absence of work-rate or desire with Jacob.
Having such a hard-working centre-forward would allow Reading to play differently out of possession to last season – pressing more aggressively. Recruiting the similarly energetic Lisbie and Godwin-Malife also fits into that idea of adopting a higher-intensity approach.
