Stockport County and Championship club join Derby County in race for Reading FC player | OneFootball

Stockport County and an unnamed Championship club have joined the race to sign Reading midfielder Charlie Savage, according to the Daily Star.

Savage is also being tracked by Derby County, who have taken an interest in the Wales international amid the Royals' financial problems.

The Welshman joined the Royals permanently from Manchester United in the summer, with this signing being seen as a real coup for the Berkshire side considering their financial problems. He came in during a busy transfer window.

He started regularly during the early stages of the campaign - but has since been replaced by Michael Craig - with Craig and Lewis Wing now starting regularly together at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

Harvey Knibbs has also started regularly in a central position and has become a real asset for Ruben Selles' side, scoring the Royals' first goal and contributing to their second in a 3-2 victory over Exeter City on New Year's Day.

There's a chance Savage could come back into the starting lineup if one of the trio becomes unavailable - and Selles may also decide to rotate his squad when they have a busy schedule.

But his chances of starting at the moment seem slim, even if he has endured some bright moments, registering four goals in 27 competitive appearances so far this season.

The Welshman has been underwhelming at times this term - but he wasn't helped by the 4-2-2-2 system that Selles adopted at the start of 2023/24.

Reading's stance on Charlie Savage

The Daily Star believes the Royals are not open to selling him at this stage - a stance that makes sense despite their clear financial issues.

Man United will receive a significant sell-on fee from his next permanent move and with the interested teams potentially unlikely to offer huge sums to take him away from the SCL Stadium, the Royals may feel it isn't worth losing him at the moment, even if he isn't starting every week.

The Berkshire side have made their stance on Savage clear to the three interested teams.

What Stockport County and Derby County need to do after Reading make Charlie Savage stance clear

The pair should probably look to move on to other targets at the moment.

The Royals' stance on Savage does make sense because of this significant sell-on, with the club unlikely to secure a decent replacement for him if he did leave.

Depending on how the Royals' deal with United is structured, selling the midfielder may be beneficial if the club ends up falling into administration.

But for now, they may be able to retain him.