January 2nd, 2023
@FabrizioRomano
Official: Reading FC have signed Brazilian talent Sávio from Troyes on a permanent deal for €6.5m. Contract signed until June 2027. Here we go!
#ReadingFC #Transfers
The tweet exploded within minutes.
Thousands of likes, retweets, and quote tweets rolled in as fans, pundits, and curious neutrals took notice of Reading's ambition. A Championship club spending over six million on a teenage Brazilian winger wasn't just surprising—it was unheard of.
@ReadingTalks
We just signed a Brazilian wonderkid. A BRAZILIAN WONDERKID. Championship football isn't ready for this.
@ChelseaYouthWatch
Moretti isn't playing around. First Casadei, now Sávio? This man's cooking something serious at Reading.
@FootyNumbers
Sávio completed more take-ons per 90 than any other U21 winger in the Eredivisie this season before being demoted. Reading just picked up a gem.
@EFLBanterPage
Reading spending €6.5m in January?? We need Financial Fair Play to start FFP-ing.
@SouthAmericaScouts
Sávio to Reading might look random to some, but Moretti is Brazilian and clearly has a vision. This kid was once dubbed the next big thing at Atlético Mineiro.
@ReadingLad95
We are so back. This ain't just promotion push talk. This is Champions League five-year plan energy.
@PremierLeagueEra
Reading are building like a top six club and they're sitting 18th. Beautiful chaos.
And amidst the buzz, one tweet stood out:
@Savio_11
"New chapter. Let's make history."
—with a picture of him holding the Reading FC shirt.
The replies flooded in.
"Baller."
"Best signing since Doyle."
"Don't let him cook, he's already on fire."
Reading had made their statement. And it echoed far beyond the Championship.
The office was quiet except for the hum of Rafael's laptop and the occasional rustle of paper. Dempsey leaned back in the chair opposite him, one leg crossed over the other, phone in hand.
"Still can't believe he hit that from 30 yards," Dempsey muttered, referring to Hendrick's thunderbolt against West Brom. "And now he's gone."
Rafael sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. "Yeah. One last parting gift."
Dempsey scrolled through a shortlist on his phone. "So… Hendrick replacement. You still thinking Adam Wharton?"
Rafael nodded. "He's the best fit. Younger, more mobile, and he can actually break lines with his passing. I've watched some of his games. He doesn't play like someone his age."
"One of the scouts called me this morning," Dempsey said, tapping his screen and flipping it toward Rafael. "Blackburn's asking price? Around three million."
Rafael sat up straighter. "Three mil? That's affordable. For once."
"Yeah, but word is they're not desperate to sell unless the player pushes for it. If Wharton isn't open to the move…"
"Then we're stuck with Fornah," Rafael finished grimly. "And as much as I rate him, he's not a proper DM."
"Exactly," Dempsey said. "He's more of a ball carrier, can't anchor a midfield in the same way."
Rafael spun in his chair, staring at the tactics board on the wall. "Then we'd have to shift to a 4-3-3. Not a major change from the 4-2-3-1. Slightly more compact in midfield. But that's why getting someone like Wharton—or at least someone with similar qualities—is vital. Otherwise, it's a whole system adjustment."
Dempsey leaned forward. "I say we make the call. Put the feelers out and see if Wharton's actually open to it."
Rafael nodded, already pulling up the contact sheet on his laptop. "Do it. And tell the scouts—if not Wharton, I need an alternative. Someone who can do the job now. No projects."
He paused.
"No more surprises. Not this window."
…
The buzz of the TV echoed in the background as Adam sat on the edge of his bed, watching highlights from Reading's last match. He couldn't stop replaying that Hendrick goal. The space. The shot. The belief.
His phone lit up. A message from his agent:
"We need to talk. Reading are serious."
Adam raised an eyebrow, then his phone rang immediately after.
"Mate, are you watching this team?" his agent said, skipping pleasantries. "Moretti wants you. Like, actually wants you. Not just scouting. They see you as the Hendrick replacement."
Adam's heart skipped. "What, as in I'd start?"
"They're pushing to get you in this window. Blackburn are being a bit tight, but if you're interested and give the right signals, it could happen."
Adam stood, looking out his window. "They've been flying lately."
"Exactly," his agent continued. "And Moretti's got a rep now. Tactical genius type. Championship clubs are watching him, but so are Prem ones. You go there, you get game time, development, and maybe you're next on those lists."
Adam's mind spun. Twenty minutes a month at Blackburn, stuck behind aging midfielders. Or the chance to be the guy for a team rising fast.
"…Alright," he said finally. "Tell Reading I'm interested. Let's see how far this goes."
….
The sky above Bearwood was darkening, tinted with the soft bruises of a fading winter sunset. Rafael stepped onto the training pitch alone, the echoes of boots and laughter long since faded. Training had ended hours ago. The grounds were still, quiet… peaceful in a way that made everything feel heavier.
He spotted a single ball resting by the halfway line, as if waiting for him.
He walked to it slowly, hands buried in the pockets of his long coat, the cold air brushing against his face. Without thinking, he gently rolled the ball forward with his foot, then tapped it up. One kick-up. Two. Three. The rhythm came back naturally, as it always did — muscle memory from a boyhood that once believed he'd make it as a player.
He smiled softly, then caught the ball with his thigh and let it fall to the ground.
This — all of this — was supposed to be impossible. A few weeks ago, he was in his flat watching tapes, dreaming about chances. Now he was living them.
The team. The fans. The noise after every goal. The quiet of this moment.
Just as Rafael turned away from the goal, the silence was broken by a low mechanical hum. The system blinked into life before him — the translucent interface hovering midair, faintly glowing in the fading light.
He raised an eyebrow, exhaling with a dry laugh.
"Way to ruin a moment," he muttered.
A soft pulse caught his eye:
[New Proposal Received]
He reached out and tapped the icon.
Proposal: Chelsea FC – U18s Head Coach
Status: Open
Location: Cobham Training Centre
Salary: Competitive
Rafael's expression shifted as the crest appeared. Chelsea. Cobham.
Memories washed in — the long walks through the corridors, the sound of studs on concrete, the smell of fresh grass. It had been his home once, the place where he fell in love with the game… and where it all shifted after his injury.
There wasn't bitterness. Just history.
He stood in the empty training ground, a ball resting quietly at his feet.
A beat passed.
"Not at this moment," he said under his breath — not with scorn, not with regret, but with clarity.
Just then, he heard footsteps behind him.
"Miss the game?" came a familiar voice.
Rafael turned and smiled. "Yeah. Maybe a little."
Andy Yiadom, Reading's captain, approached with his hands in his coat pockets, a laid-back grin on his face.
"You always come out here alone like this?" Andy asked.
"Only when I forget I'm supposed to be resting," Rafael replied, half-laughing.
Andy nodded toward the empty stands. "I just wanted to say something. I didn't get the chance earlier."
Rafael raised a brow.
"I didn't think we had a shot this season," Andy said. "When we were 23rd, everything felt gone. I thought I'd be captaining this team straight into relegation. But… you've given us hope."
Rafael looked away, then back again. "I'm just doing my job, Andy."
"Don't be modest. It's more than that. You've got the lads playing like they believe in something again. And bringing in Savio… that's a proper statement."
Rafael smirked slightly. "He's got fire. Wanted to prove himself somewhere that mattered. We were lucky to catch him."
"The boys are buzzing about him," Andy said. "Even the older ones. He's sharp. Brave. You brought in a real player."
"I didn't bring him in for hype. I brought him because he fits this—what we're building."
Andy nodded. "Signing someone like him says a lot. To us. To the fans. That we're not just here to survive anymore."
Rafael let that settle, then said, "We're not."
Andy stepped forward and held out a hand. Rafael shook it.
"I've seen a lot of managers come and go," Andy said. "You? You've got something different. It's not just tactics — it's belief. And it's contagious."
Rafael gave a soft smile. "Then let's make sure it spreads."
Andy turned, beginning his walk back toward the changing rooms, and called over his shoulder, "Let's finish what we've started."
Rafael looked out over the pitch one last time, then at the system still hovering in front of him, silently dismissing it. There was only one project that mattered right now — and it was happening here.
….
Fabrizio Romano on Twitter:
"EXCLUSIVE: Reading FC are preparing a move for Blackburn Rovers midfielder Adam Wharton. Negotiations expected to open soon — fee could be around £3m. Moretti wants Wharton as a key part of his midfield rebuild. Reading are planning to build something special."
Here we go?
———-
Bit of a shorter chapter this one but I will upload the next chapter soon.
The prospect of rafael staying and managing reading till the end is appealing to me a lot recently but anyways i've narrowed down the choices:
Chelsea
Liverpool (theyre already the biggest team in england after this season so I dont really see a point.)
Man united
Athletico Madrid
Stay at Reading.
Another team.