Luton Town face Reading FC threat in race to sign Birmingham City player | OneFootball

League One side Reading have joined Luton Town in the pursuit of a Birmingham City defender on loan..

Jack Wilshere's Luton Town have interest in Birmingham City left-back Lee Buchanan, but they face competition from League One rivals Reading.

League One looks set to be fiercely competitive in 2026/27, with a number of clubs harbouring genuine promotion ambitions. Relegated from the Championship, teams like Leicester City, Sheffield Wednesday, and Oxford United are expected to be among the frontrunners, while the likes of Stockport County, Blackpool, and Huddersfield Town will also believe they can challenge towards the top end of the table.

Reading and Luton Town will certainly fancy their chances as well. The Royals are desperate to finally end a run of 17th, seventh and 12th-placed finishes since dropping into League One, while Luton will be determined to respond after just missing out on the play-offs and having suffered successive relegations recently.

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Both clubs have strengthened this summer and possess the quality to mount serious promotion pushes if they can find greater consistency over the course of the 2026/27 campaign compared to last season, but they are also eyeing the same transfer targets.

LutonReading have brought in four players. The season is almost upon us but the pair appear to be fighting it out for Birmingham City's left-back ahead of the start of the campaign.

Luton are pushing for Buchanan, but Reading have joined the race. Journalist Darren Witcoop states Birmingham are ready to loan out the left-sided defender this summer.

Luton and Reading are said to be exploring deals for the 25-year-old, with Buchanan having played for Birmingham for the last three seasons now. He arrived at St. Andrew's from Bundesliga side Werder Bremen back in 2023.

Birmingham City's Lee Buchanan's career stats so far

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Prior to living in Bremen and Birmingham, Buchanan emerged through Derby County's academy and quickly established himself as one of the club's brightest young talents, making almost 100 senior appearances before earning a move to the German side in 2022.

Although his time in the Bundesliga provided valuable experience, injuries and fierce competition prevented him from becoming a regular starter. He returned to England with Birmingham, hoping to reignite his career, but has recently found opportunities limited under Chris Davies, with a cruciate ligament injury part of the reason for that.

The impressive form and consistency of Alex Cochrane at left-back have seen Buchanan slip down the pecking order, meaning his long-term future at St. Andrew's is becoming increasingly uncertain as he searches for the regular first-team football needed to get his career back on track.

Lee Buchanan is too good for League One

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Buchanan would undoubtedly be an excellent signing for many ambitious League One clubs. On ability alone, he has all the attributes to be a top-end Championship full-back, having already shown his quality with Derby before earning a move to the Bundesliga.

However, persistent injury problems have prevented him from building momentum and consistently showcasing the best of his talent, leaving him in need of regular football in 2026 to rediscover his best form.

That is why interest from Luton and Reading makes perfect sense. Both clubs would be acquiring a player with experience at a higher level and the potential to become one of League One's standout full-backs. The only significant caveat is his fitness record.

Expecting the Birmingham defender to complete 40-or-more league games may be unrealistic, so any club signing him would likely need strong cover in reserve to manage his workload effectively.