Michael Craig Leaves Reading For Leyton Orient

Craig turned down “multiple multi-year contracts” from the Royals this summer.

Farewell to Michael Craig, who’s today decided to leave Reading. The 22-year-old has instead accepted a deal at fellow League One club Leyton Orient.

The Royals made it clear in their announcement that they’d tried to keep him, noting that “multiple multi-year contracts” had been put on the table. Perhaps that’s a nod to the fact that most of the club’s recent contract business has involved one-year deals (which applies to Andy Yiadom, Jeriel Dorsett and multiple others).

Still, the fact that Orient have handed him a two-year deal suggests there was more to Craig’s decision than just contract length. It’s likely that, had he stayed in Berkshire, Craig would have struggled to become a first-team regular in his favoured centre-midfield position due to Lewis Wing being... well... very very good. Orient on the other hand look set to lose midfielder Ethan Galbraith to Swansea City, so there’s an opening there.

Instinctively this news feels a bit like the Jayden Wareham exit (he joined Exeter City). Both are young, talented players who fairly expect regular first-team football at League One level, but are likely to find that easier to come by elsewhere.

Such losses are the (probably) inevitable outcome of Reading’s transformation as a club over the last few months. The Royals were last season reliant on promoting young players quicker than they otherwise would have done - but will now need to prioritise more experienced, established personnel in the first team if a promotion push can be put together.

Whatever the case, it’s a real shame to lose Craig. He’s a talented, hard-working and tenacious guy who’s been a regular member of the side in the last couple of years. Craig played 58 times in League One for Reading, appearing both in midfield (2023/24) and at right-back (2024/25).

Reading can at least console themselves with some up-front cash. Due to Craig’s age, the Royals were entitled to compensation from Orient - although the amount has been decided between the two clubs (an undisclosed fee) rather than having to go to a tribunal.

We’re now left with just one player’s future to resolve: that of Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan. Hopefully we’ll have good news on that front before long.