Why Reading signing Lewis Morgan in January would be a real boost
According to the Daily Mail, Championship promotion-hopefuls Reading are monitoring Inter Miami winger Lewis Morgan with a view to a potential swoop in the January transfer window.
The 24-year-old has also attracted interest from Premier League outfit Sheffield United while French top-flight sides Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice and Rennes are all understood to be chasing the former Celtic star. (h/t Daily Mail)
As per the report, David Beckham’s side could accept offers in the region of £2million for the Scottish international, who joined Inter Miami from Celtic earlier in January.
Profile
Lewis Morgan spent nine years in the youth ranks of Rangers between 2004 and 2013 before switching boats to join St. Mirren. He made his first-team debut for the Saints during the 2014-15 Scottish Premiership campaign and established himself in a prominent role in the following season after the club suffered relegation to the second-tier.
The 24-year-old’s impressive run of form in the Scottish Championship earned him a move to Celtic in January 2018. He was immediately loaned back to St. Mirren for the second half of the 2017-18 campaign and helped his club win the title and secure promotion to the top-flight. Morgan ended his career at St. Mirren with 29 goals and 23 assists in 118 appearances.
However, the Scottish winger struggled to establish himself as a regular fixture at Parkhead due to stiff competition for places. He was loaned out to Sunderland in EFL League One for the second half of the 2018-19 campaign before eventually being sold to Inter Miami in January 2020.
Morgan has made a big impact in the United States, accumulating 5 goals and 5 assists in 24 appearances for Beckham’s side in the Major League Soccer.
Morgan would add more depth to the Reading attack
Reading emerged as the early pace-setters in the Championship following a stunning start to the 2020-21 campaign under new manager Veljko Paunovic. However, a dismal run of form over the past couple of months has somewhat dented the club’s promotion hopes, with the Royals losing 7 out of their last 12 league games.
The Berkshire outfit are still very much in the mix for a top-six finish, though, with 33 points accumulated from 20 games so far. Paunovic, to that end, should have one eye on bolstering his squad with some additional firepower in the winter window.
Putting things into context, a potential deal to bring Lewis Morgan to the Madejski Stadium next month would hand a significant boost to Reading’s promotion hopes. The Scottish winger struggled to make much of an impression at Celtic but has really come to the fore since moving to the MLS with Inter Miami.
Reading aren’t really crying out for reinforcements in the wide attacking department. Michael Olise, Ovie Ejaria and Yakou Meite have all enjoyed a lot of success this season but Morgan would still offer Paunovic more depth and quality across the final third.
With Sam Baldock and Sone Akuko both out of contract next summer and Olise attracting interest from the Premier League, Morgan could well establish himself as a key player for the club moving forward.
Verdict
Paunovic has worked wonders like young players like Olise, Ejaria, Andy Rinomhota and Omar Richards at Reading this season and Lewis Morgan would be yet another exciting addition to ranks at the Madejski Stadium. The former Celtic star still has plenty of room for development at 24, so Reading certainly shouldn’t hesitate to take a punt on him in January.