Forest Green Rovers have swooped to sign highly-rated Reading right-back Ashqar Ahmed on loan until the end of the season.
The 18-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign with the Royals, making 18 appearances in all competitions. Nine of those outings have come in League One, underlining his growing involvement at senior level.
Ahmed is a product of Reading’s academy and signed his first professional contract in July 2025. Prior to that, he featured seven times in the Premier League U18s during the 2023/24 season, catching the eye with a series of assured performances.
He made his EFL debut in November 2024, coming off the bench for a 15-minute cameo against Stevenage, and went on to make several further substitute appearances into the early months of 2025.
The move comes at a key time for Rovers, who are monitoring the fitness of Jay Mingi. The Stockport County loanee was forced off after half an hour against Woking on Tuesday with a suspected burst cyst around his knee and did not train on Thursday.
