Championship strugglers Reading face a challenge holding onto Liam Moore with Celtic, as well as Premier League duo West Ham and West Brom, reportedly keen.
With Reading just four points above the Championship drop zone and the fans turning on manager Jaap Stam, you could understand why in-demand centre-back Liam Moore may be considering his future at the Madejski.
The Daily Record linked Moore with a £5 million move to Celtic back in December with Brendan Rodgers keen to enhance his side’s defensive options. That was before Marvin Compper arrived from RB Leipzig, yet it is understood that Celtic still want one more centre-back.
And with Moore refusing to rule out a departure from Reading in January, as reported by The Chronicle, it will be interesting to see whether or not the Scottish champions step up their pursuit.
They would face no shortage of competition with West Ham and West Brom keen to give the 24-year-old a second chance to prove himself in the Premier League after he was never really given an opportunity in the top flight by Leicester City, as reported by The Mail.
Only Stoke City have conceded more goals this season than West Ham but manager David Moyes prides himself on a solid backline. So Moore’s athleticism, versatility and capacity for improvement would make him a potentially astute addition.
Either way, it depends whether Moore wants to add trophies to his CV or believes he would be better off honing his trade in arguably Europe’s most competitive division.
But while Celtic supporters may be divided about the prospect of paying such a hefty fee for a centre-back, it is clear that losing Moore would be the worst possible start to 2018 for the disillusioned Reading fan base.
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