The 2017-18 campaign of the EFL Championship hasn’t been a spectacular one so far for Reading as they have collected merely 12 points from 11 league outings so far. Having missed out on a promotion to the Premier League by a whisker in the previous campaign, it was perceived at the onset that the Royals would hit the ground up and running from the start of their season in the English second division.
Jaap Stam hasn’t been able to shepherd his troops in the manner in which he manoeuvred last time around, although a 0-1 win at the Elland Road against Leeds United last weekend could prove to be a turning point for them.
Seeing the manner in which Reading have plied their trade so far, it goes without saying that they would try to chalk some deals to bolster their arsenal and as per one of the latest reports by the Sun, they have apparently put James Wilson on their radar.
Wilson emerged through the renowned youth setup of Manchester United and is one of the highly rated youngsters in the books of Jose Mourinho. He was shipped out on a season-long loan to Brighton & Hove Albion during the 2015-16 season, where he bagged 5 goals in 25 appearances.
However, despite being sent on loan to Derby County last season, he couldn’t make an impact as a knee injury halted his progress and considering that his chances with the senior side of the Red Devils look slim, Mourinho might also look to loan him out in January.
Given his undeniable calibre, Stam is likely to be keen to sign Wilson. The 21-year-old is a striker who frightens the opposition’s defenders with his pace, dribbling skills and direct style of play. He is technically as well as tactically, a gifted starlet who has notable predatory skills and his hard-working attitude is simply exemplary. Besides, he links up with his teammates in an astute manner and toils relentlessly in the final third and no wonder why his stocks are highly rated.
Apart from Reading, Thomas Christiansen’s Leeds United are also believed to be interested to prise the Englishman out of the Old Trafford. Impliedly, Stam might be forced to venture into a tug-of-war to secure the services of Wilson in the January transfer window. Meanwhile, Manchester United would definitely look to loan him out to see if he is capable enough of challenging for a spot in the starting line-up in the coming seasons.
