Reading have been dealt a blow in their quest to sign Tomer Hemed, with Chris Hughton insisting Brighton and Hove Albion need the striker ahead of the Premier League season, reports the Reading Chronicle. 

Jaap Stam is desperately looking to bolster his striking options this summer, and has already added Jon Dadi Bodvarsson to support Yann Kermorgant in next season’s Sky Bet Championship campaign.

Kermorgant scored 19 goals for the Royals last season, but Stam is still looking for players to support the Frenchman and launched a bid for Hemed last week.

However, it appears that Brighton have turned down Reading’s £4m bid for the striker, with Hughton claiming he was needed at the Amex Stadium, he said:

“If I’m looking at the options we’ve got at the moment, particularly with Sam Baldock being injured, we’ve got two out-and-out strikers, Glenn (Murray) and Tomer.

"We need everyone that we’ve got.”

Hemed played crucial role in helping Brighton to promotion in the Championship last season, scoring 11 league goals for Hughton’s side from 37 appearances.

Since his arrival at the Amex Stadium in 2015, the 30-year-old has scored 31 goals for the Seagulls, with 28 of those coming in the Championship.

Hemed is not the only striker Reading are linked with this summer, with Stam’s side also reportedly interested in West Ham United’s, Ashley Fletcher.

Fletcher is expected to leave the London Stadium on-loan this summer, and Reading face competition from Middlesbrough and Wolverhampton Wanderers to sign the striker.

Reading fans… Are you disappointed by this news? Would you like to see Hemed at the Madejski Stadium next season? Let us know your thoughts!