League One team Reading lacks depth in a number of areas, which is one of the main reasons a takeover is sorely needed.
Even with Jeriel Dorsett available, the Royals may need to consider the left-back position because the defender may eventually be needed in a more central role.
Sam Smith’s recent absence has highlighted the need for the Berkshire club to invest in their striker area, but they probably won’t be able to make many moves in the transfer market until they complete a takeover deal. The wing department is also lacking options, with Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan out for the remainder of the season and Chem Campbell currently scheduled to return to Wolverhampton Wanderers in January.
Fortunately, the club’s academy has been a lifeline for Ruben Selles, as numerous young players, such as Ashqar Ahmed and Adrian Akande, have performed admirably this season.
However, if they wish to increase their chances of success, they will need to get more experience, and the only way to do so is to enter the transfer market.
Ruben Selles may have a serious midfield problem with Reading FC.
With some of their younger players rising up and performing admirably alongside the Royals’ first-team stars, midfield is one position that might just make it through January without any additional signings.
When Michael Craig isn’t needed at right-back, players like Lewis Wing, Ben Elliott, Harvey Knibbs, Charlie Savage, Tivonge Rushesha, Shay Spencer, and others can play in the middle of the park.
This season, Wing, Elliott, Knibbs, and Savage have all made contributions in the last third, and Selles frequently finds it difficult to decide which three players should start in the middle of the park.
Given his value, Wing ought to be in the starting lineup, but a lot of supporters have said that when the Royals travel, he need to play farther forward to make room for a more defensive midfielder.
There aren’t many defensive midfield choices available to Selles because Craig is needed at right-back, and Wing’s deep position permits Elliott, Knibbs, and Savage to start in front of him.
It should come as no surprise that Wing frequently starts Elliott and Knibbs on the first squad because they both have made significant contributions this season and exhibit true class in the closing third.
However, this has frequently resulted in Savage being left out of the starting lineup, which is a setback for the Welshman who has struggled to hold onto a starting position despite scoring some significant goals against Wigan Athletic and Crawley Town this season.
Charlie Savage is in dire need of playing time for Reading FC.
Savage has demonstrated that he can contribute in the third division, but in order to reach his full potential, he requires consistent playing time.
Given that the Royals are still participating in three competitions as of this writing, he may have started a few games this season and will likely continue to do so.
Even though the midfield player has been switched into the starting lineup on a reasonably frequent basis, he cannot accept being a bench option in some league games.
His issue is that he has to contend with two outstanding midfield players for a starting position.
Knibbs prefers to play centrally, so Selles won’t be eager to use him as a winger after watching him struggle out wide.
He should stay in the middle, possibly letting Campbell and Akande start in the wide areas, even though he did play out wide against Crawley but wasn’t as efficient there.
Since his arrival in 2023, he has scored some extremely significant goals, thus it would be hard to imagine him being dismissed anytime soon.
Elliott, on the other hand, is a gifted young midfield player with a very high potential who has demonstrated his class and contributed goals to his game this season.
If Savage wants to start on a regular basis, he must demonstrate that he can be just as valuable as Elliott.
Since the former’s contract doesn’t expire until 2027, he won’t be able to advance until he starts consistently and demonstrates enough class to maintain his starting position and speed up his growth.
