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Reading have made a last-ditch attempt to keep hold of Jimmy Kebe by offering him a new and improved two-and-ahalf- year deal
Reading have made a last-ditch attempt to keep hold of Jimmy Kebe by offering him a new and improved two-and-ahalf- year deal
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Reading FC make final offer to Jimmy Kebe

By Jonny Fordham
January 06, 2012

Reading have made a last-ditch attempt to keep hold of Jimmy Kebe by offering him a new and improved two-and-ahalf- year deal.

Boss Brian McDermott urged his star winger to stay loyal to Royals amid interest from Championship rivals West Ham United, who had a bid rejected for the 27-year-old on Sunday.

Kebe has just six months left on his existing deal and could walk away for nothing in the summer and pick up a huge signing-on fee elsewhere as a free agent.

McDermott insists that he and the board want to keep Kebe, who was unhappy with the terms he was being offered last summer and the fact he would get only a one-year extension on his contract.

However, Royals’ boss declined to guarantee that the Mali international would still be at the club when the transfer window closes on February 1.

McDermott said: “I can only say what I’ve been told and that is that we are not looking to sell him in this window.

“I spoke to the board and they have said that he is going nowhere. That’s where we’re at and we shall see what happens.

“If someone comes in and gives us an absolute fortune, then they might sell.

“If Jimmy decides he will see his contract out that’s his prerogative. If he signs, we will be delighted. From my point of view, if I was Jimmy, I would get my future sorted as soon as possible.

“If something happens and someone leaves we always have contingency plans for people to come in and that never changes.”

Royals take on League One Stevenage in the third round of the FA Cup at Madejski Stadium tomorrow (3pm kick-off). And Kebe could be rested to avoid him being cup-tied.

Last season Reading made it through to the quarter-finals where they were knocked out by eventual winners Manchester City. And McDermott is eager to embark on another memorable run.

He said: “I love the FA Cup and we’ve had great memories in the competition.

“We want to stay in it as long as we can. The players and the fans love the cup too. I’ll pick a team that I think has every chance of winning the game.

“Their manager Graham Westley knows what he’s doing. “He’s a bit different, which I like, and he’s his own man and does things his own way.

“His team works hard for him and they are tough opposition, who know how to win games.

“We will need to be at our best and ready – and I know we will be.”

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Most recent user comments 14 of 14

   He's off to Leicester I have heard
Websterboy Reading
08/01/2012 at 10:39 Offensive or Inappropriate?
   On his day, no one can match him. lack of consistency is his downside. West Ham have money to burn, sell him before the club lets him do a 'Sidwell'.
Uncle Buck, Reading
06/01/2012 at 16:58 Offensive or Inappropriate?
   Sign the contract Jimmy, despite some moaners the majority of the fans love to watch you (hence the chants) and want you to stay.

Wingers can be much maligned because they don't seem to be working as hard as other positions, but that's what being a winger is about, it's an attacking position. I admit to having a moan at Jimmy & Jobi not doing enough defensively (or consistently), but love seeing them taking on the opposition especially when it pays off.
Lester Crinklesack
06/01/2012 at 16:55 Offensive or Inappropriate?
   Seems to be two lines of thought here:

Sell him now and get somebody else in that wants to play all the time.

Keep him as the youngsters aren't up to it yet.

Its a tough one but I say this. Keeping him at least means we have the more certain side of "better the devil you know." If we sell him, firstly it'll be hardly anything on his true value if it's done now and when has RFC i.e. Sir Madman ever allowed anyone to use the whole received fee to buy a replacement? If we got £1M for example, McD would be lucky to get £500k given recent history. Plus I think we bought him for quite a bit. Maybe even in and around the £M mark. So we'd be praying for some of that RFC gem finder magic that whoever we get to replace him, their performances outweigh what we paid. In the world we currently live in, a winger like that won't come at £500k without factors. As for down talking our younger players. Didn't we say this about Long, Gylfi, Karacan, Cummings, Church etc. Some wouldn't have them out of the team now!
Hopeful Hoops, Reading
06/01/2012 at 16:27 Offensive or Inappropriate?
   Never gonna be run like ‟a massive club‟? That seems obvious, but it would be nice for our club to be run as if it had just a little ambition.

Btw even a ‟lazy‟ Kebe is quality and worth doing just about anything we can to keep him.
Dirk Thrust, Los Angeles, California
06/01/2012 at 15:51 Offensive or Inappropriate?
   Don't fret, we lose our best players every year and Brian still has us competing at the right end of the table. Our best players will always leave us and agents will always try to get the best deal for their player. If Kebe wants to leave thats up to him, I wont bad mouth him whilst he's still a Reading player.

There's too much whinging from our fans, we're not a massive club so will never be run like one.
John Smithss
06/01/2012 at 14:59 Offensive or Inappropriate?
   He will sign and then be flogged at the end of the season when we fail to make the prem

DEJVU anybody?
last chance saloon
06/01/2012 at 13:38 Offensive or Inappropriate?
   Oh yes. Who could we bring in for the same amount of money that Jk would be sold for at this present time? HRK and Ants arnt JK's replacement as of yet. If they were, either of them would be picked instead of JK, unless you feel McD's judgements are somewhat deminished.
Fancirca1963, Reading
06/01/2012 at 13:32 Offensive or Inappropriate?
   On a purely financial and economic status it would be great for RFC for him to re-sign. His current value is heavily reduced, being out of contract at the end of the season. If he re-signs, we will get a lot more from him if he does go elsewhere, and we all know that a contract means nothing in terms of actually keeping someone at the club. Thus whether he should go due to his attitude whatever is another matter!

On a personal basis I would like to keep him. We have no one better, and he is a match winner (other clubs are often terrified of him). If sold, we all know the money will just go in to the black hole, and so as a supporter I will gain nothing from his leaving, except a reduced squad.

He has not endeared himself to some RFC supporters, but most in the same position would do the same - maximise their wages and contract terms, why should he be different.

Indeed, my biggest gripe with JK is the fact he goes straight off the pitch at the end of the game, without acknowledging the supporters at all.
GwentRoyal, Pontypool
06/01/2012 at 13:12 Offensive or Inappropriate?
   Kebe clearly has no respect for his team-mates, no respect for the manager and no respect for the supporters. If he did he would make more effort all the time.

How can you be lazy occassionally - thats ridiculous! He's lazy or moody or both - full stop.

Get him out and let someone with more character and energy and respect wear the shirt.

In any other environment he would be unemployable!
Oh yes
06/01/2012 at 12:05 Offensive or Inappropriate?
   Well it really is up to Jimmy Kebe now - he was upset that the original offer wasn't long enough (being only a year after this season) it is now 2 years after this season - so comparable with other similar aged players.

If chooses not to sign then IMO we should definately sell and give the youngsters a run.

Make your mind up time Jimmy!
Robsy , Reading
06/01/2012 at 10:49 Offensive or Inappropriate?
   Jk is one of a very few players we have that sometimes show star quality. It says much for RFC that they recognise this and try to retain his services. Also if after signing a new contract, Jk could be sold for a few more pennies that we might get now. Antonio still needs a while to mature into a useful winger and we have seen with HRK that he is probably more inconsistant than Jimmy himself. IMO, sign him up now on a new contract and do it ASAP.
Fancirca1963, Reading
06/01/2012 at 10:10 Offensive or Inappropriate?
   Yes hes occasionally lazy but hes a match winner, hes the player we all expect to change games. Why doesnt he deserve to be highly paid?We talk him up, the fans even sing to away fans "youre only here for the kebe". I believe his initial rejection was due to wanting parity in terms of length of contract -with leigertwood and an ageing gorkss
The DR
06/01/2012 at 09:31 Offensive or Inappropriate?
   The Chairman moans about wages, cost of running the club etc... yet we are willing to make one of the laziest players (what I guess would be) the highest paid at the club? Seems ridiculous when we have so many young players with talent that could step in!
Craigy Boy
06/01/2012 at 09:02 Offensive or Inappropriate?
 
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