Celtic are believed to have identified Reading's Liam Moore as their top transfer target when the transfer window opens in January.

The Daily Record claim Brendan Rodgers is a big fan of the 24-year old defender, who is said to be valued at around £5m.

Having come through the academy at Leicester, Moore has really excelled at Reading since making the move. Capable of playing at centre-back or right-back, he has impressed with his powerful play whilst also being comfortable on the ball.

Jaap Stam demands a style of play that former Reading boss Rodgers will appreciate, meaning Moore would have little trouble slotting in at Celtic.

The Glasgow giants are very light in that area of the pitch, with injuries to Jozo Simunovic and Erik Sviatchenko resulting in midfielder Nir Bitton having to play at centre-back for many key games this season.

That included several Champions League encounters, which saw Rodgers criticised in some quarters for not suitably adding to his squad in the summer.

However, with the Hoops looking very likely to be playing in the Europa League in the latter part of the season, it appears Rodgers won't make the same mistake again and sees Moore as the ideal man to come in.

The Verdict

This is bad news for Reading fans, as Liam Moore has been a strong performer under Jaap Stam and is a good player in the Championship.

Whether he would move to Celtic remains to be seen, although the appeal of European football may be too much to turn down.

Either way, Reading are sure to fight to keep hold of their defender and would demand a big fee before they considered selling him.

Thoughts, Reading fans? Let us know in the comments below.