Exclusive: Reading FC urged to seal Wrexham, Jack Marriott transfer swoop - Noel Hunt "needs" him | OneFootball

Lee Hendrie has told FLW his verdict on Reading's interest in signing Jack Marriott from Wrexham

Sky Sports pundit and former Aston Villa stalwart Lee Hendrie has urged Reading to complete a deal for Jack Marriott, with the Wrexham frontman having emerged as a target for the League One side amid a difficult start to the new season.

As exclusively revealed by Football League World earlier this week, Royals are keen on signing the 30-year-old before the summer transfer window closes on 1 September.

Marriott has struggled for game time with the Red Dragons in both League Two and League One, having joined the club after their promotion from the National League in 2023.

The striker has managed 43 appearances, including only 12 starts, in two seasons, contributing seven goals.

Lee Hendrie urges Reading to complete Wrexham, Jack Marriott transfer swoop

Hendrie believes that Reading need someone who knows how to find the back of the net after a sluggish start to the new season, which has seen the Royals score just twice from their opening four games in League One.

Reading currently sit 21st ahead of tomorrow's trip to rivals Wycombe Wanderers, having lost out to Lincoln City, Huddersfield Town and newly-promoted AFC Wimbledon before claiming their first point of the campaign with a respectable draw away at Bolton on Wednesday evening.

He believes the addition of Marriott could be a smart move for Noel Hunt’s side in solving their issues up front for the rest of the campaign.

“I think it’d be a good signing for Reading,” Hendrie exclusively told Football League World.

“I mean, it’s still the early stages of the season, four games in and they’ve just scored the two goals with no wins, which is a disappointment for them.

“They need someone who knows where the back of the net is, and he definitely does.

“I think the opportunity for him and Reading, I think it’d be a really good opportunity for him to get game time for sure.

“And, as I said, he has been prolific over the years, so I think it’d be a good signing.

“When you feel that they are in a bit of a struggle to hit the back of the net, so good signing that’ll be if it comes off.”

Reading finished seventh in League One last season, narrowly missing out on a play-off place, but will need to turn around their poor form to start this campaign in order to push for a top six finish again in 2025/26.

Wrexham's Jack Marriott could be a risky signing for Reading

It’s evident that scoring goals is now a major concern for Reading after this slow start to the new season.

And Marriott does have a proven track record of scoring at a League One level, even managing six last year with inconsistent game time.

However, he is unlikely to hit the heights he reached during the 2017/18 campaign, where scored 27 times from 44 league appearances.

If Reading can keep him to a reasonably sized contract, keeping the overall cost of the deal down, then this could be a good move, but it is risky if they spend big on a 30-year-old who hasn’t played that much in the last few years, particularly given his injury record.