Some of the signings, like McShane and Al-Habsi, were successful, while others like Vydra and Sa failed to make a significant impact.
Hurtado struggled to find success at Reading due to limited playing time and a lack of opportunities to prove himself under different managers.
The summer of 2015 was a very interesting transfer period for Reading.
Clearly, a rebuild was needed following the departures of some of their key men, with Adam Federici, Jem Karacan and Alex Pearce all leaving.
Other first-teamers including Hope Akpan, Danny Guthrie, Stephen Kelly, Pavel Pogrebnyak and Yakubu also left, along with former loanees Nathan Ake, Kwesi Appiah, Nathaniel Chalobah, Jamie Mackie and Glenn Murray.
Unfortunately, the Royals’ rebuild didn’t start until the latter stages of June, but that green light for signings finally came and they enjoyed a very productive window.
Some signings were more successful than others though.
While players such as Paul McShane and Ali Al-Habsi flourished, others like Matej Vydra and Orlando Sa sometimes disappointed, with Sa leaving the Select Car Leasing Stadium just one transfer window after his arrival. One of the least successful signings was Paolo Hurtado, who had limited appearances for the Royals and spent a significant portion of his time there on loan.
Paolo Hurtado’s time at Reading FC
After the departures of Jimmy Kebe, Jobi McAnuff, and Michail Antonio, along with former loanee Mackie who could play on the wings, Hurtado was expected to be a significant addition in Berkshire.
Given his transition from Portugal, it was expected that it would take time for him to adjust to English football, but he displayed potential in his inaugural and only start for the Royals.
He was kept fairly quiet by Everton in the EFL Cup that night and was arguably lucky not to be dismissed for two bookings, but he didn’t disgrace himself against the Merseyside outfit and could have built on that performance against a then-strong Premier League.
Unfortunately, he never had a decent opportunity to prove himself after that, making five substitute appearances in the league but failing to register a single goal or assist in the process.
Clearly, he wasn’t highly rated by either Steve Clarke or Brian McDermott, and that was a blow considering the latter focused on getting the most out of wingers during his first managerial spell at the SCL Stadium.
There was a slight change in style during McDermott’s second spell, but despite this, it’s a shame the Peruvian never got the chance to play under the promotion-winning manager.
After leaving on loan for Vitoria Guimaraes in January 2016, he spent the rest of his spell with the Royals at the Portuguese side, where he was much more successful.
During his loan spells at Vitoria, he registered seven goals and three assists in 38 league appearances, making it no real surprise when he sealed a permanent move there during the summer of 2017.
Enjoying another successful season there, he then made the move to Turkey to join Konyaspor, but hasn’t enjoyed that much success since his move there in 2018.
Why Paolo Hurtado’s spell at Reading FC did not work out
It’s very difficult to work out why Hurtado wasn’t given more of a chance to thrive during the early stages of his time at the SCL Stadium.
But it doesn’t sound as though his family settled down in England, according to what he previously said.
It’s not surprising that the move didn’t go well since Hurtado hadn’t played in England before relocating to Berkshire. Sometimes, transfers don’t pan out, and this one to the SCL Stadium didn’t benefit either the player or the club.
AFC Bournemouth and West Ham United, both Premier League teams, showed interest in Hurtado during his time at Reading. However, these potential transfers were unlikely to succeed if his family wasn’t content in England.