Reading will hope Sheffield Wednesday star can complement Femi Azeez and not replace him: View | OneFootball

Reading need to improve their wing area if they are to be a real attacking threat during the 2024/25 campaign and beyond.

In fairness to the Royals, they recruited well last summer, with Harvey Knibbs, Sam Smith and Lewis Wing all proving to be major assets in the final third.

All were recruited on free transfers and the trio were key in keeping the Berkshire outfit afloat in League One, despite enduring a very difficult campaign off the pitch.

Ben Elliott is another attacking threat with his technical ability and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him play a key part for the Royals next term after spending a decent chunk of the 2023/24 season on the bench.

With Ruben Selles sticking with a 4-1-4-1 system during the latter stages of the campaign, Elliott has managed to get more opportunities to shine and he has done well enough to put himself in contention for regular starts next season.

Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan, who recently had his contract extended by a year, could be an excellent option, either on the wing or as a striker.

Even though Ehibhatiomhan can play on the wing, there's a need to improve this area, with Paul Mukairu's loan ending, Dom Ballard heading back to Southampton and Femi Azeez the club's only major wide threat at the moment.

Clinton Mola showed some promise in the final third as a full-back, but he is another player who has departed the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

Mallik Wilks linked with a move to Reading FC

Football Insider has reported that Sheffield Wednesday attacker Mallik Wilks is attracting interest from three third-tier clubs.

Charlton Athletic and Stockport County are both thought to be interested in the ex-Hull City man and those could be good options for the 25-year-old, who will be keen to secure a decent amount of game time wherever he goes.

The Royals are also believed to be interested in him by either securing a permanent or loan deal for him, although a loan agreement could be more likely considering the Berkshire outfit are still under an embargo at this stage.

Wilks has an excellent record at this level - and could be a good addition for the Royals because of this.

Mallik Wilks needs to complement and not replace Femi Azeez at Reading FC

As mentioned above, the Royals need more depth and quality out wide, and they need to add to this area rather than replace a key player like Azeez.

The latter attracted interest from Plymouth Argyle in January and it wouldn't be a surprise if he's linked to other clubs in the coming months, with the 22-year-old registering eight goals and nine assists in 46 league appearances last season.

Azeez on the right and Ehibhatiomhan on the left could work for the Royals next season, but the latter may be required in the striker department considering their lack of depth there and he also hasn't been that consistent out on the left in recent months.

Often performing better when coming off the bench too, Wilks would probably be a better alternative to have out wide, either on the left or the right.

Selles could start Wilks on either wing, with Azeez able to operate on both the left and the right.

Some people would argue that Wilks would be a good replacement for Azeez, with the former excelling at this level and managing to register plenty of goals and assists.

However, Azeez has been such an important player for the Royals in recent months.

The first few months of the season didn't go very well for the Berkshire outfit's academy graduate and he came under fire for some of his performances.

But he has been crucial ever since, managing to stay fit despite winning so much game time and using his pace to become a game-changer.

He can also score goals from outside of the box like his teammate Wing can, an underrated part of his game that allowed the Royals to pick up some crucial points last season.

If the Berkshire side are to thrive next term, they should be looking to keep the 22-year-old at the SCL Stadium and play him alongside Wilks rather than opting for the latter as his replacement.