Reading FC: Harvey Knibbs has to have Oxford United consideration amid transfer links | OneFootball

There are a couple of key reasons why a move to the Kassam Stadium may not work out for the best for Knibbs.

Reading midfielder Harvey Knibbs has been a real asset for his current side this season.

His contributions for the Royals don't come as a major surprise, considering he was also lethal in front of goal during the 2023/24 campaign.

Joining on a three-year contract during the summer of 2023, it was unclear how he was going to get on at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

It's fair to say he started the season poorly, failing to impress out on the left wing.

But when Ruben Selles changed his system from 4-2-2-2, Knibbs was a huge beneficiary of that, with his move to a more central position allowing him to shine.

He looked like a completely different player in the middle and finished the season on a very impressive total, with his contributions helping the Berkshire outfit to avoid the drop and secure a respectable finish in the end, considering their points deduction.

Full of confidence from last term, Knibbs would have been frustrated to have spent part of the early stages of this season on the sidelines.

But following his return, he has continued to make some valuable contributions, not letting his injury disrupt his rhythm.

And he has done enough to garner interest from other clubs.

Oxford United and Derby County among teams linked with Harvey Knibbs

According to Darren Witcoop, Derby County, Oxford United and Portsmouth are all interested in a move for the Royals star.

The 25-year-old still has 18 months left on his contract, but with the Berkshire side yet to be sold, they are still facing cash flow issues.

With this in mind, he could potentially be sold before the window closes.

Since Witcoop's update, The News have reported that Pompey are unlikely to advance their interest in the player during this window.

That could potentially leave Derby and Oxford to battle it out for his signature.

Oxford United move may not work out for Harvey Knibbs

Oxford have every chance of staying in the Championship beyond the end of this term and with this in mind, a move to the Kassam Stadium may be a good idea on paper.

However, there are a couple of key reasons why he could be reluctant to make this move.

Firstly, the Royals and the U's are rivals, and Knibbs risks ruining his relationship with the Berkshire side's fans if he makes this switch.

But, perhaps more importantly, there are no guarantees that he will win a lot of game time at Gary Rowett's side.

At the SCL Stadium, he has that guarantee of game time when he's fit, but he won't have that at the Kassam Stadium.

Will Vaulks hasn't played very well this season and Cameron Brannagan could drop deeper to accommodate Knibbs in the starting lineup, if the U's played in a 4-1-4-1 system.

But Des Buckingham and now current boss Rowett don't seem to be keen on having Brannagan as the sole sitter in midfield.

This means there's a limited amount of space for an attacking midfielder like Knibbs to come in - and Ruben Rodrigues would probably be ahead of him in the pecking order if he joined.

Rodrigues may not have had a perfect season, but he has often shown promise in the final third and recently scored against Millwall and Preston North End.

Knibbs could play out wide in a 4-2-3-1, but he isn't suited to a wide role and it would probably only be a matter of time before he was dropped.

Right now, it would probably serve the 25-year-old well to wait until the summer before weighing up whether to push for a move away from Berkshire.

He's clearly talented enough to make the step up to the English second tier, but doing it midway through the season could make it tougher for him to settle in and thrive, so a January window move may not work out for him.