Knibbs to miss Portsmouth friendly as Reading boss makes new exit admission
Portsmouth take on Reading in a pre-season friendly this Saturday, and the match has some extra bite for a couple of reasons.
First off, the two teams will face off in the second round of the Carabao Cup on 12 August, so it’s an early chance to scope each other out with that fixture in mind.
On top of that, Portsmouth have been linked with a move for Reading ace Harvey Knibbs.
Knibbs bagged 16 goals from midfield for the Royals last season, and would be an exciting addition to John Mousinho’s side.
Reading boss Noel Hunt makes Harvey Knibbs exit admission
Knibbs won’t feature in the pre-season friendly against Portsmouth. This is supposedly due to a minor fitness concern, rather than him preparing for a transfer.
However, Hunt has admitted that his prized midfielder could leave the club this summer if a suitable offer arrived.
Speaking to The Reading Chronicle (25 July), he admitted the club had a figure in mind but their midfield star wouldn’t depart for any less.
He added: “If something is going to happen, I would rather it happen earlier so we can plan in terms of getting the squad that is going to be here as tight as possible.
“If it is going to happen, it has to happen in the next week or so or we will plan for him to be here and keep him.”
This admission may be hard for Reading fans to swallow. Knibbs’ goals are a key part of the Royals’ attack and would be hard to replace.
At the same time, some Pompey fans might now be urging Eisners to splash the cash and bring Knibbs to Fratton Park.
Portsmouth aces will aim to show that new playmaker isn’t needed
Knibbs thrives in the ‘number 10’ role just behind the striker. That’s where he has mostly been used for Reading and Cambridge United before that.
Portsmouth have already signed two players who like to play there this summer. Adrian Segecic and John Swift were both used as ‘number 10s’ for their respective clubs last season. Callum Lang has also been a constant threat when used there.
| Player | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Segecic | 35 | 18 | 3 |
| Swift | 37 | 3 | 1 |
| Lang | 33 | 10 | 2 |
All three players are expected to feature for Portsmouth at the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Saturday. They will each aim to prove that Pompey don’t need to splash the cash on another playmaker.
Mousinho has a limited budget to buy new players during this transfer window, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him opt out of bidding for Knibbs.
Indeed, it may be more sensible to spend any remaining funds on wingers or deeper-lying midfielders, as this is where Pompey’s squad looks particularly short.
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