Despite nearing the end of their current contracts, Reading FC boss Paul Ince believes Lucas Joao and Yakou Meite both want to remain at the club.
Both players’ contracts expire in the summer, but Ince is counting on them to help the team remain in the Championship this season.
“I had a good one on one chat with him (Lucas Joao),” said Ince.
“He seems to be in a better place. Around the training ground and out on the pitch, you can see he’s right up for this.
“He’s a goalscorer, a natural goalscorer.”
“It’s important the likes of Yaks and Lucas who are coming to the end of their contracts, if they want to stay here it will have to be in the Championship so they’ve got something to fight for as we all have.
“Lucas is the one, alongside AC and Yak, who can keep us up and we need goals.
“All my players are important to me. I’ve said to Lucas because of where we are, the work rate that we need.
“We need that from the next seven games from Lucas, from everybody, but especially from Lucas as he’s our goalscorer.”
Ince believes that there is a desire from the players at the club to fight for their place in the team to show their willingness to win new deals.
He continued: “The ones who are out of contract, they want to stay here, they want to be here.
“When you get to this situation you either want to earn a new contact or you want to go away.
“I’ve spoken to Lucas and I’ve spoken to Yak. They both want to fight, stay at this club and earn a new contract.
“There’s only one way to do that and that’s by being on the field.
“We’re down to the barebones and they’re important players to me.”
