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Reading have struck a deal to sign West Ham United fringe player George Earthy, according to reports. The attacking midfielder has been on the bench in the opening two matches of the Hammers’ first season back in the EFL, with Nuno Espirito Santo preferring to use Lewis Orford and a combination of Edson Álvarez and Mohamadou Kanté as his midfield duo. Royals Make Move However, it seems that Earthy’s time in London has come to an end, with club insider ExWHUEmployee reporting through his West Ham Way Patreon channel that Reading have agreed a permanent deal to sign the 21-year-old. It is believed that the midfielder is now undergoing a medical in order to join the Royals, who are in preparation for their weekend clash on the road at AFC Wimbledon. Leam Richardson’s side have had a slow window compared to many of their League One rivals, signing just four players so far this summer, including two attackers in Josh Stokes and Kyreece Lisbie. The former was one of Earthy’s teammates during his loan spell at Bristol City, who he featured for 11 times during the second half of the campaign in his second spell at Ashton Gate. Having come through the academy at West Ham, the attacking midfielder made just five senior appearances, only one of which came last season in a brief cameo during their home loss against Fulham. Formation Upheaval Ends Chances With Nuno Espirito Santo losing the talented Mateus Fernandes this summer, it has prompted West Ham United into a formation change, making George Earthy’s role in the team much more limited. While he certainly had a future as a depth option for Jarrod Bowen on the right-hand side, the summer signings of Arne Engels and Manor Solomon has essentially knocked him out of contention, and sanctioning a move away is probably the best choice. He now heads to Reading, where he is much more likely to be given chances by Leam Richardson, but will still have to battle for his place amid competition from Josh Stokes and Kyreece Lisbie. Rotation will be key to the season and while Earthy will get plenty of chances to play and prove himself having finally moved away from his boyhood club, and alongside the current options adds further quality to the Royals as they seek to redeem themselves after last season’s disappointing collapse. Hammers Need To Cut More Dead Wood With the Championship season ahead of them, West Ham United need to somewhat trim a squad that has up until recently been bloated due to their European commitments. There are certainly some players who should be moved on as Nuno looks to give his youth options much-needed experience, with Lewis Orford and Mohamadou Kante two who have bright futures in East London. Players who were already on the fringes, like James Ward-Prowse and Maxwel Cornet, certainly should be considered for removal, with that pair unlikely to make much of an impact this season.