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What lies beyond Euro 2016 for Hal Robson-Kanu?

By on July 1, 2016

Hal Robson-Kanu scored a stellar goal against Belgium on Friday night in France as the Welsh national team pulled off a stunning comeback victory to seal a berth into the semifinals of Euro 2016.  Out of contract with Reading this summer, Kanu is looking for a free-transfer to a top-flight club and having thrust himself into the shop window with his magnificent goal, these are Kanu’s top four potential suitors according to reports around football:

Southampton

As a youngster, Hal Robson-Kanu was a highly touted Arsenal academy player. Yet his career towards the top has been far from straightforward, the midfielder having being released by the Gunners at the age of fifteen for the lack of development towards becoming the powerful footballer he is now.

Kanu then joined Reading, but heartache followed. He suffered multiple long-term injuries within the space of a few years, effectively sidelining him for three full years.

Nevertheless, Kanu was determined and eventually became stronger, faster, and more skillful – growing into a 6’1” frame. At the Under-19 and Under-20 levels he represented England before switching allegiance to Wales by way of his Caerphilly-born grandmother.

Finally, he has found consistency in both his club and international career. He has stayed with Reading his entire professional career, bar short loan spells with Southend United and Swindon Town, and has made one-hundred-ninety-eight for The Royals.

Kanu’s one season in the Premier League with Reading, their 2012/2013 campaign, was the most productive season of his career with seven goals and three assists with just thirteen starts.

He hoped that Reading would eventually find their way back to the top flight after suffering relegation that year, signing a new three-year-deal in the summer of 2013 despite claiming to receive other offers from Premier League clubs. Yet after three disappointing years near the bottom of the Championship Kanu was ready to move on. The thinking was that Kanu would use Euro 2016 as a boost to earn him a move back into the Premier League and oh how well that plan has worked out.

Rumored to be top of his list of potential suitors are Southampton, who are looking to rebuild their squad under new manager Claude Puel following the surprise departure of Ronald Koeman. Kanu, whose estimated salary at Reading is somewhere around the £15,000-a-year mark, seems a logical fit.

Although Southampton are not a club to buy into the hype around major tournaments, Kanu has been impressive for Reading for some time and might fancy his chances with the Saints.

Swansea City

Swansea City being the only Welsh club in the Premier League, Kanu would return to the top-flight as a club hero and fan-favorite should move to the Liberty Stadium. The club are expecting an injection of cash this summer with a United States-based consortium led by Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan moving closer to purchasing the Swans.

Francesco Guidolin steered the club clear of relegation last year after taking over in the winter for Gary Monk and Kanu may very well be a part of the Italian’s plans to put his stamp on the squad over the summer.

If Kanu indeed wanted a move to Wales but for some reason a Swansea deal fell through the next logical suitor would be Cardiff City and although the Bluebirds were reportedly uninterested at the last time of asking things might just have changed now.

Watford

Watford started off their 2015/16 campaign strongly with Troy Deeney and Odion Igahlo leading their lines and given Deeney recently signed a new long-term deal with the Hornets, Kanu might relish the opportunity to link forces with the goalscoring duo under new coach Walter Mazzarri.

Real Madrid

Kanu’s obvious next destination — just imagine a front-line of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, and… Kanu. ’Nuff said.

There’s no doubt that Kanu will find club suitors after Wales’ successful run at the Euros, along with not a few extra pounds in the bank – a handsome reward for a handsome match-winning goal that took Wales to the semis.

Homepage photo credit: Nick (cropped from original) [CC BY 2.0], via Flickr

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.