Tom Holmes: Luton Town sign Reading defender then loan him back
- Published
Reading defender Tom Holmes has signed for Luton but has been loaned back to the club to try to keep them in League One this season
Reading have sold vice-captain Tom Holmes to Luton Town, who have immediately loaned him back to the Royals for the rest of the season.
The 23-year-old joins the Premier League Hatters for an undisclosed fee.
The centre-back has made 129 Royals appearances and has been at the club since he was eight years old.
Hatters boss Rob Edwards said:, external "Tom is one that we've been tracking for a while. He is very experienced already, even though he's fairly young."
Speculation about the future of Holmes and 20-year-old Nelson Abbey seeped out before Saturday's scheduled home game with Port Vale.
It is understood to be a major reason for the fans' protest which led to the abandonment of the League One match.
Holmes was left out of the Royals starting line-up, having indicated that he would prefer not to be picked.
After the match, Reading boss Ruben Selles confirmed the club had accepted bids for the two players.
Holmes will be available for the Royals' trip to Wigan on Saturday, subject to EFL and FA approval.
The academy graduate made his debut aged 18 and made 112 appearances in the Championship before Reading's relegation.
He also made 11 appearances on-loan at KSV Roeselare in Belgium's second tier in 2019/20.
A Reading statement said: , external"Everyone at the club would like to congratulate Tom on his move, and look forward to working with him for the rest of the season."
FA charge for Bowen following Port Vale red card
Meanwhile, Reading's head of sports science Josh Bowen has been charged by the FA after receiving a red card in the aftermath of Saturday's abandonment against Vale.
It is alleged Bowen used "abusive and/or insulting" language towards a match official prior to his sending off and behaved in an alleged "improper manner" and used "abusive and/or insulting words" to the official following his dismissal.
Bowen has until Friday, 19 January to provide a response.
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