Reading are in the market for a new striker and have identified LA Galaxy’s Gyasi Zardes as their next potential signing. The Reading Chronicle has today confirmed how boss Steve Clarke is hoping to push through a deal before the September 1st transfer deadline.
The 23-year-old, who has scored 25 times in 80 league games for LA Galaxy, is understood to be attracting interest from other clubs, including Championship rivals Brighton & Hove Albion and Belgian top flight outfit Genk. Clarke has already improved his squad this week by accessing the foreign market with the acquisitions of Peruvian winger Paolo Hurtado on a permanent deal and Espanyol’s Alex Fernandez on a season’s loan.
Zardes wouldn’t be walking into an unknown dressing room should he move to the Madejski Stadium as the USA international is friends with Danny Williams through their national team connections. Zardes has earned himself 13 caps for his country, scoring two goals in the process, including in a recent friendly against the Netherlands.
Earlier this week, Clarke told Get Reading how he is actively searching for ‘a few more’ players to bolster his squad. It is strongly believed that one of his targets is Chelsea midfielder Nathanial Chalobah, following his successful loan spell with the club last season. However the number one target is certainly a striker,
“I’m still in the market for a striker. No-one has ever said that we’re not. We’re still looking, but it’s not easy. They are very expensive and we don’t have a lot of money to go and get them.”
Former Chelsea centre back Clarke has overseen something of an overhaul to his squad over the summer, with 14 departing over the summer, including the likes of Jem Karacan, Adam Federici, Danny Guthire and Yakubu. He has added new talent, including Orlando Sa, Stephen Quinn, Ali Al-Habsi and Paul McShane, yet Clarke believes a striker could be one of the final pieces of the jigsaw to conclude his summer recruitment.
