The 4 Reading FC players who could attract serious transfer interest this summer | OneFootball

League One club Reading won't be signing players until they get their takeover ratified.

If or when a sale happens remains to be seen, but engaging in contract discussions with Kelvin Abrefa and Tivonge Rushesha and retaining key players has to be their key aim at the moment.

The Royals' fanbase will be praying that a takeover goes through before more player sales are required - because the Berkshire club need to add players rather than lose them.

Their academy could come in handy, with some of their youngsters potentially ready to step up and perform in the first team.

But an injection of quality is clearly needed and they could benefit from retaining their key stars.

Ahead of the summer window, we take a look at four key men who could attract interest in the coming months.

1 Lewis Wing

Wing has been an integral first-teamer for the Royals, signing for the club on the expiration of his contract at Wycombe Wanderers and proving to be one of the club's best signings of the summer 2023 window.

He spent a period of time out of action during the early stages of the campaign, but since then, he has been a crucial first-teamer.

Registering 11 goals and 11 assists in 49 competitive appearances during the 2023/24 campaign, he has made even more of an impact than those figures suggest, being a game-changer in the middle of the park and the heartbeat of the team.

Without him, the Royals may not have been able to score the goals needed to keep themselves in the third tier.

And with two years left on his contract still, it would be worth keeping him, at least until the ownership situation is sorted.

Losing him could be fatal without an adequate replacement coming in - and it will be hard to find a replacement regardless of whether the ownership situation is sorted or not.

He's a priceless player to have at this level.

2 Harvey Knibbs

Speaking of priceless players, Knibbs has been incredible ever since Ruben Selles moved away from the 4-2-2-2 system.

Out wide, he wasn't that useful for the Royals, but he has been exceptional as a central advanced midfielder, using the space well and combining with Sam Smith effectively to guide the Royals to safety.

Knibbs is another player who has two years remaining on his contract and it would be a mistake to sell him this summer, considering how much of an asset he could be behind Smith next term.

The 25-year-old still has room to improve, so offering him a new contract could be a good decision when a sale goes through. Whether he would sign it remains to be seen though.

3 Femi Azeez

Azeez was extremely poor early in the season, with many people questioning Selles' decision to continue starting him.

But he managed to regain his confidence and become a real game-changer just before the Christmas period - and has shown real flashes of quality since then too.

Along with Wing, he can score brilliant goals from outside of the area, but his pace out wide is just as important.

In the final third, he lacks quality at times, but the winger has the potential to become a major threat at a higher level in the future.

The club recently activated a one-year extension to keep him at the club until 2025, but with his contract situation in mind, it may be worth selling him if they can bring in a replacement.

Ideally, they would keep him, but losing him for free would be painful. It will be interesting to see if Plymouth Argyle reignite their interest.

4 Sam Smith

Smith has probably been the least impressive out of the four on this list, but he has still been a vital player.

In fact, he is probably the Royals' only adequate striker option at the moment and this is why the Berkshire side simply can't afford to sell him.

Holding the ball up well, winning aerial duels, getting himself in the right positions and scoring 16 goals last term, with 15 of those coming in the league, it would be crushing if the Royals sold him now.

His goalscoring record at this level for both the Royals and Cambridge United will make him the subject of interest.