Exclusive: Don Goodman reacts as Reading FC eye 14-goal striker | OneFootball

Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman has given his thoughts on Reading's links to striker Ronan Hale.

Reading are linked with a move for Ross County striker Ronan Hale, with fellow League One clubs Luton Town and Wycombe Wanderers also carrying interest in the forward.

Hale scored 14 times in 38 league outings north of the border last term, and is now subject to EFL interest following Ross County's relegation to the Scottish Championship.

Reports from the Belfast Telegraph outlined that the Northern Irishman is being eyed by Reading, Wycombe and Luton, with the former weighing up a bid.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman believes that Hale is exactly the sort of player that the Royals should be targeting following their 2-0 defeat to Lincoln in their opening match of the 2025/26 League One term.

"They need to strengthen" - Reading claim made amid striker links

"I think that signing a striker or a forward player is a priority for Reading," said Goodman when asked whether an attacker is a priority following their opening weekend loss.

"They struggled slightly in pre-season and then drew a blank against Lincoln. It is not a disaster because I think that Lincoln have the ability to be really competitive in League One on their day."

"But, this is a Reading team that has lost key players, whose goal contributions were massive."

Harvey Knibbs, who finished as the Royals' top goalscorer with 14 last term, recently left the club for Charlton Athletic, while 11-goal striker Sam Smith left for Wrexham in January.

"They need to strengthen. Hale had a great season and proved that he can score goals, so it will be interesting to see whether Reading can pull this one off," Goodman concluded.

The aforementioned Knibbs and Smith were crucial to the Royals' attack last term. Losing Smith midway through was a huge blow, and now that Knibbs has also left the club, Reading have lost a significant number of goals.

Across the last two seasons, Knibbs and Smith have scored 51 of Reading's 136 League One goals between them, with the stat being even more remarkable when it is considered that the latter departed for Wrexham in January, where he would score another seven League One goals as Phil Parkinson's side achieved promotion to the Championship.

Their latest striker link, Hale, may not come from the most outstanding domestic league in terms of recognised quality. However, he is someone who knows where the back of the net is.

After a tumultuous period for Reading, they hope to look upwards in League One sooner rather than later, and to do so, they need to replace the goals of two of their most influential players since their relegation to League One.