Reading FC must push for Brighton transfer amid big Harvey Knibbs, Charlton Athletic news | OneFootball

Reading FC must try to secure the services of Kamari Doyle with Harvey Knibbs set to leave.

Reading FC are set to lose key midfielder Harvey Knibbs to Championship outfit Charlton Athletic, which will leave a huge pair of shoes to fill in the squad, with less than a week until the new season kicks off.

It's been a summer of change for the Royals thus far, with Dai Yongge finally selling the club to former Wycombe Wanderers chief Rob Couhig, but fans have had to be patient with their new owner.

Key players such as Lewis Wing and Joel Pereira have been tied down to new contracts, but others such as Amadou Mbengue and Michael Craig opted for new opportunities elsewhere.

The latest to depart the Select Car Leasing Stadium is set to be Knibbs, who is reportedly closing in on a £1.8m move to Championship newboys Charlton, following two strong seasons in Berkshire.

Whilst this is a serious blow for Noel Hunt just days before the new season kicks off, he must now focus on finding the perfect replacement for the 26-year-old, and Kamari Doyle may just be that man.

Why Kamari Doyle could be the perfect replacement for Harvey Knibbs at Reading

One name already linked with a move to Reading is Doyle, who is the subject of interest from plenty of top League One clubs this summer, which was exclusively revealed by Football League World earlier in July.

The 19-year-old caught the eye at Crawley Town on loan last season, scoring seven goals and assisting a further four in 21 League One outings, with a further three goals for Exeter City in the first half of the campaign.

With Knibbs' imminent departure, Doyle seems like the ideal successor to the 26-year-old thanks to his versatility across the midfield, and would continue to offer a more attacking option in the engine room, which proved to be a huge success for Hunt last term.

Like Knibbs, the Brighton youngster is a player who can bring decisive moments of individual quality that can decide a match. He also brings plenty of flair and has proven to be an excellent set-piece taker, giving the Royals an extra trick up their sleeve.

Whilst this all sounds simple on paper, securing the services of the England U20 international will be a tall order for Reading, as they face competition from fellow League One clubs such as Luton Town, Barnsley, and Wycombe.

However, with any move seemingly being just a simple loan deal, the Royals stand a much better chance of winning the race for Doyle, and the fee received from Knibbs' transfer could go towards paying a higher percentage of his wage, which could swing Brighton's decision in Reading's favour.

With the numbers Doyle posted in a significantly weaker team last term, and the numbers that the Berkshire club will be missing from Knibbs in midfield when he departs, the former seems like the ideal like-for-like replacement for the former Cambridge United man.

With that in mind, Reading must do all they can to win the race to sign Doyle, as this would soften the blow of losing a key player in Knibbs, by replacing him with someone who has already displayed so many of the qualities that the 26-year-old possesses.