Middlesbrough and Fulham are hoping to wreck any hopes Reading have of bringing Oxford United ace Rob Dickie back to the Madejski this summer, according to the Mirror.
Before the 2019/20 campaign was put on ice, a former England U19 international was producing the form of his career for an Oxford side dreaming of promotion to the Championship.
But, regardless of how this campaign turns out, it looks increasingly likely that Dickie will be plying his trade in the second tier when 2020/21 kicks off – with or without The Us.
According to the Mirror, Reading would love to re-sign a player they sold two years ago, though Mark Bowen’s Royals will face competition from Scott Parker’s Fulham and Jonathan Woodgate’s Middlesbrough.
A technically gifted centre-half with real aerial prowess, Dickie has caught the eye against top-flight opposition too, making Newcastle United work hard for their FA Cup victory at the Kassam earlier this year.
The report claims that Oxford are desperate to keep hold of their influential captain but, if the right offer arrives, then they may have no choice but to sell. A move to Fulham could potentially see Dickie try his hand at Premier League football, with the Cottagers all-but guaranteeing a place in the top six.
“We see him as young player who has real potential and a real learning capacity and they’re the ones we really want to work with,” Huddersfield Town boss Danny Cowley said of Dickie during their time together at Lincoln CiDannty, in quotes reported by the Lincolnshire Live.
“Technically he is excellent – he has a good reading of the game, well beyond his years. He is going to go on and be a top player.”
According to the Mail, Dickie is valued at around £600,000.
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