Good things come to those who wait, eh? After a slowish start to the summer, Reading finally have their first signing of the window, and it’s someone we’ve had to be particularly patient for. It’s none other than Kyreece Lisbie, who had reportedly been set to sign in February.
The 22-year-old winger was seemingly on the verge of completing a deadline-day move from Colchester United for a fee in the region of £500,000-£1m. However, that move collapsed at the 11th hour (Reading signed Kadan Young on loan
instead), with Colchester chairman Robbie Cowling stating in April that his club had pulled the plug on the deal.
“I wanted to hand the club over in its best possible condition and that wouldn’t have been minus two of our best players, so a decision was made not to sell those players.”
“The problem we had in January was that the offers we had were right at the end of the window. Had we have let those players go, there was no time to get replacements.”
Reading maintained their interest in Lisbie though, amid rumoured rivalry from Peterborough United, Huddersfield Town, Sheffield Wednesday and other clubs for the player’s services.
Sky Sports’ Peter Smith reported on June 22 that Lisbie was set for a medical in Berkshire, while Sheffield Wednesday journalist Joe Crann said on the same day that the Owls had also agreed terms, but location was a factor in them missing out.
What’s Lisbie’s story so far?
Lisbie’s had quite the mix of clubs in his career so far. Initially coming through the Leyton Orient academy, he also had stints at Shield Academy, Cray Valley Paper Mills and Watford, before spending a few years in Brentford’s B team.
He then switched to Colchester United on a permanent deal midway through the 2024/25 season, but spent some of that campaign on loan at National League side Braintree Town, scoring twice in seven appearances in all competitions.
Last season was the true breakout period for Lisbie though. The first section of 2025/26 – before Reading made their initial bid in late January – yielded 10 goals and five assists in League Two. The remainder of the season was another story however: just one goal and one assist in the league from the beginning of February onwards.
You can probably put that drop-off down to Lisbie’s head being turned (who wouldn’t be disappointed by being denied the opportunity to play for Reading Football Club?). It’s hard to read too much into that from a Royals perspective though: if Lisbie was unsettled in the second half of last season, does that indicate a problem we should be wary of, or was that simply reasonable ambition on his part to play at a higher level? Only time will tell.
What kind of player are Reading getting?
One with good end product, going by the first half of last season at least. Lisbie’s overall tally of 11 goals and six assists in 45 matches (all competitions) isn’t too far off Jack Marriott (16 and three, 24 matches) and Lewis Wing (11 and 11, 46 matches).
More pertinently, it’s well above what Reading’s wingers managed in 2025/26. Daniel Kyerewaa came out on top in that department (five goals and three assists in 33 matches), with now-retired Matt Ritchie managing one goal and six assists in 28.
Stylistically Lisbie is a quick, direct winger, and summed up his style of play in January 2025 by saying: “I’d say I’m a ball carrier; I like to get the team up the pitch with my dribbling.” Further, this article from November 2025 by AndyScouting praised Lisbie’s “pace, directness and growing confidence”.
That ties in well with what Leam Richardson has said about the kind of players he wants: quick ones. He couldn’t have been much more obvious in emphasising the importance of such personnel during his Q&A with STAR in early March.
Lisbie’s also more broadly the kind of player that Reading should be targeting this summer – similar to the addition of Benn Ward in January. He’s got some experience to call on (55 games in total for Colchester), has shown he has the durability to play regularly across a full season (51 matches in 2025/26), should be fairly affordable (he was going into the last year of his contract) and will have resale value down the line (he’s only 22).
So, all in all, on the face of it a very good bit of business.
Welcome to Reading, Kyreece!
