By Russell Edge

28th Jan, 2021 | 7:21pm

Sources: Cheltenham Town agree to sign Reading attacker on loan

Reading striker Sam Smith has agreed a deal to join Cheltenham Town on loan until the end of the season, Football Insider understands.

The 22-year-old has been given the green light to leave the Madjeski Stadium once again after spending the first half of the campaign out at Tranmere Rovers.

A recruitment source told Football Insider League Two promotion hopefuls Cheltenham have agreed terms of a temporary move with both club and player and a deal is close to completion.

Smith joined Reading’s youth setup after leaving the Manchester United academy back in 2014 but has spent much of his professional career out on loan.

The Manchester-born hitman made his Royals debut back in 2017 and has 11 first-team appearances under his belt, the last of which came in April 2018.

He spent the first half of the 2018/19 campaign at Oxford United in League One, where he played 23 times across all competitions, before joining third-tier rivals Shrewsbury Town in January 2019.

The centre-forward managed to make just three appearances for the Shrews and was shipped off on loan to Cambridge United for the entirety of the 2019/20 season.

He scored eight times in 34 games for the League Two outfit before Reading sent him on another loan, this time to Tranmere, last summer.

Despite failing to net in seven appearances for the Merseyside outfit, Cheltenham have moved swiftly to get Smith on board for the second half of the campaign in a bid to boost their promotion hopes.

The Robins currently sit fourth in the League Two table, just two points behind table-toppers Cambridge and with one game in hand.

In other news, Reading have set sights on signing a League Two defender before the end of the window, Football Insider understands.