2 players that Reading FC should look to sign before September 1 deadline ft Kemar Roofe | OneFootball

Reading have had a tough start to 2025-26 after almost getting into the play-offs - here are two players who could kick-start their new season.

Reading have had a tough start to their League One season, and are currently occupying one of the four relegation spots - albeit at a very early stage.

After finishing the 2024-25 season just short of the League One play-off places, the early signs have been that this season might be a tougher one for Reading. After five games have been played, they have yet to register their first win, and the two points that they've taken from those games leave them one place off the foot of the table.

With new ownership of the club having only been confirmed in May, expectations for this season were fairly high, but Noel Hunt's team isn't quite clicking yet. But with a week still to go before the end of the transfer window, there's still time for the Royals to bring in further reinforcements.

So here are two players - one highly experienced, the other still wet behind the ears - that they could bring in to bolster their numbers.

Kemar Roofe

Now 32 years of age, Kemar Roofe is nothing if not experienced. Over a career that stretches back a decade and a half, he's played in Iceland, Belgium and Scotland, as well as having appeared in the EFL for six different clubs - most notably Leeds United.

Roofe had a horrendous 2024-25 season, remaining a free agent following his release by Rangers the previous summer until he was picked up by Derby County in February 2025.

But a hamstring injury that he picked up in training just a couple of weeks following his arrival at Pride Park ruled him out for the rest of the season, and the Rams opted not to give a new contract in the summer.

But being able to pick him up as a free agent could be good for Reading. They've only scored five times in all competitions this season, and none of those goals have been scored by any of their strikers, with attacking midfielder Lewis Wing and winger Andre Garcia having scored two each and another winger, Mamadi Camara, having bagged the other one.

Roofe's fitness in recent seasons is a bit of a concern. His issues with injuries stretch back further than his arrival at Pride Park last season, and he's only made 21 league appearances over the last three seasons.

But he's fit at the moment and still training with Derby County, and Reading's only centre-forward options at present are Mark O'Mahony, Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan and Basil Tuma - two of whom are only 20 years old.

Roofe's experience could benefit this trio of youngsters by relieving a little of the pressure on them to score, and there's no doubt he could likely still do it at League One level.

Myles Peart-Harris

Part of the reason for selecting Kemar Roofe is that Reading already have four players on loan, meaning that they can only bring one more in and include them in their match-day squad, although they're allowed eight overall.

This means that loan players who they want to play regularly have to be chosen carefully, and Myles Peart-Harris of Brentford could be an excellent option. Peart-Harris is 22 years of age, and he spent last season on loan at Swansea City, but he hasn't been able to break into the Brentford team this season and another year in the EFL could help him finesse himself.

And Reading would be getting quite a lot of attacking midfield quality and versatility in return. Peart-Harris had made three Premier League appearances for the Bees, but has three years of EFL experience with Forest Green Rovers, Portsmouth and Swansea. Although primarily an attacking midfielder, Swansea used him on both wings last season before injury curtailed his stay with the club.

He can play as a box-to-box midfielder, in a more attacking position, or on either wing, and when he joined them from Chelsea's academy in 2021, Thomas Frank had this to say about him: "We see him playing as an ‘eight’ in our system and he fits the position profile perfectly for that.

"He is a dynamic midfield player, and he drives forward with the ball. Myles has great quality on the ball. He can score goals and deliver assists for us. He is great at arriving in the penalty area at the right time."

Having played the last two seasons in the Championship, persuading the player to step down to League One this season might prove to be a challenge. But Reading can offer Premier League-quality facilities and the possibility of regular game time, and that could be tempting for a player who doesn't seem likely to get much at Brentford this season.