Reading Football Club can announce that goalkeeper Vito Mannone has joined Danish Superliga side Esbjerg fB on loan until the end of the season.

The 31-year-old stopper signed for the Royals in July 2017 and made a total of 47 appearances between the posts for Reading.

However, he made just six starts for the club in 2018-19 before making a season-long loan move to Minnesota United in the MLS last February.



He impressed in the Upper Midwest under former Burnley and Sheffield United boss Adrian Heath and returned to Reading at the end of his loan spell to train with his first team colleagues throughout a hectic January.

Rafael Cabral, Sam Walker, Luke Southwood and Coniah Boyce-Clarke have all been included as the goalkeeping options in Mark Bowen’s first team squad for the eight league and cup games so far this month, so Mannone has opted to put pen to paper on a loan switch to Lars Olsen’s Esbjerg.



In Denmark, clubs are enjoying a mid-season break and Mannone flew to Turkey to complete his medical and paperwork. With all that complete, he could now make his Superliga debut when FC Copenhagen visit the Blue Water Arena in a fortnight’s time.

Everyone at Reading Football Club would like to wish Vito the very best of luck during his loan period in Denmark.



