Football League World
·15 July 2023
Football League World
·15 July 2023
Reading are currently considering moves for free agents Luke Amos and Dan Gosling, according to Darren Witcoop.
Amos was released on the expiration of his contract at Queens Park Rangers, with Gareth Ainsworth deciding against retaining the midfielder as he looks to put his stamp on the R's squad.
Gosling, meanwhile, didn't get the opportunity to show why he should have been retained at Watford, with his severe Achilles injury ruling him out for the majority of the 2022/23 campaign.
Not only can the experienced midfielder operate in the middle of the park - but he can also play at right-back when required.
This is probably their weakest department at the moment and that's saying something considering most positions need to be addressed at the Select Car Leasing Stadium before the end of the summer transfer window.
Jay Senga and Ovie Ejaria could be potential options - but the former is still very young and needs experience around him to give himself the best chance of thriving.
And Ejaria barely played last season and it remains to be seen whether he will stay, so at least three midfielders will be required before the season starts.
A goalkeeper is needed and so is depth at centre-back, left-back, on the wing and in a striker area. But a weak midfield will cost the Royals points and that's why they need to focus on this area.
Thankfully for them, it seems as though they have some midfielders on their shortlist but they need to move quickly following a very slow start to the summer.
Their transfer restrictions hampered them a huge amount but now they are free from most restrictions, they will be able to bring in further additions in the coming days and weeks following the arrival of Harvey Knibbs.
It's 50:50 on both of them.
Amos is clearly a talented player and would be too good for League One if he can stay fit.
At 26, Amos can make up for lost time and make the rest of his career a real success, but whether he can avoid injuries or not would determine how successful his time in Berkshire would be.
The fact he hasn't managed to stay fit makes him slightly unreliable and that's why this signing may not be the best idea, especially with Sam Hutchinson struggling to stay fit last season as well.
They need reliable players who can avoid injuries considering how injury-cursed the Royals' squad has been in the past few years - and that's why it may not be a good idea to sign Gosling either.
He suffered a long-term injury setback last season and it may take him a while to get his fitness and sharpness back, so if he did come to Berkshire, he would need to be eased in rather than started straight away and thrown in at the deep end.
Unfortunately, the Royals' lack of depth may mean that he'll need to be thrown straight into the first 11 and that may increase the chances of him sustaining another serious injury.