Shropshire Star

Josh Laurent set to leave Shrewsbury

Out-of-contract Shrewsbury Town midfielder Josh Laurent is set to complete a move to Championship side Reading in the coming days.

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The Shropshire Star understands Laurent, 25, is to undergo a medical with the Madejski Stadium side today after terms were agreed.

Laurent was offered a new contract at Shrewsbury but has taken the opportunity to move up to the second tier, where a number of clubs were monitoring his services.

Town are believed to be working on bringing in new recruits to bolster Sam Ricketts’ squad for next season, which begins in September.

The club have a number of irons in the fire and hope to get some over the line in the coming weeks.

Work to identify new additions for next season has been going on between Ricketts and chief executive Brian Caldwell over the course of the last few months, despite the financial uncertainty surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic.

London-born former QPR man Laurent also interested Cardiff, Swansea, Stoke and Middlesbrough but has opted to move closer to the capital.

He departs having spent two seasons at Montgomery Waters Meadow after signing from Wigan in 2018, scoring nine goals in 93 appearances in all competitions.

The powerful midfield runner enjoyed a scoring spree last November which put him on the radar of a number of Championship sides in the January window, but Town retained his services.

Laurent shone in January’s FA Cup 2-2 draw against Liverpool at the Meadow.

Defender Omar Beckles, 28, who has spent three seasons at Shrewsbury, is also yet to put pen to paper having been offered a new deal.

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