It is that time of year again: the rumour mill is in full swing and Reading are weighing up their options in the transfer market.

After such a poor season in 2017/18, where survival was only negotiated on the final day of the campaign, Reading will be looking to strengthen their squad to compete higher up the table next term.

One player they could target is Preston North End star Ben Pearson.

Here, FLW looks at his season in numbers and assesses whether he would be a decent addition for the Royals.

Pearson was a vital part of Preston's midfield last season, playing 35 games in the middle of the park.

The former Manchester United youngster does both the defensive and attacking work from central midfield as seen by his stats.

With 3.1 tackles and 1.9 interceptions per game, the former England under-20 international is tough to penetrate while his record of 54 passes per game with a completion rate of nearly 80 per cent (as well as two assists) shows that he can get the Lilywhites moving forward too.

The 23-year-old is the complete all-round midfielder at such a young age and one of the best in the division.

Pearson is a crucially important cog in Preston's midfield and they will not want to let him go, but if Reading can test their resolve with a concrete bid, then they should definitely press ahead and try to wrap this deal up to seriously improve their midfield ranks.