Striker Sheffield Wednesday sold for megabucks in 2019 is now a free agent after statement

Lucas Joao, who left Wednesday to join Reading in the summer of 2019, will spend the coming weeks in conversations with potential new clubs after it was confirmed his time with the Royals had come to an end.

The Portuguese, whose fee in leaving Hillsborough ranges from £3m to £6m depending on the report, was recently heavily criticised by his caretaker manager Noel Hunt for a perceived lack of commitment, claiming Joao had refused to play in their final game of the season.

In his four seasons in Berkshire, 29-year-old Joao tasted the highs and lows of Championship football, bagging 19 league goals in the 2020/21 campaign before struggling with injury and form more recently.

Scott Dann, Luke Southwood, Shane Long, Liam Moore and Dejan Tetek are the other players to have had their releases confirmed by Reading in this afternoon’s statement.