Harvey Knibbs has been a wanted man for quite a while now, with a number of clubs in both League One and the Championship said to be looking at the Reading striker.
When he was leaving Cambridge United last summer, the same source suggested that Bristol City would be interested in signing him. The striker ultimately decided to join the Royals following their drop to the third division.
Nine months later, it seems like a wasted opportunity for the Robins as the former junior product of Aston Villa is struggling to score goals in a League One relegation battle. However, a summer transfer in 2024 isn’t out of the question as Knibbs has shown he can step up to the Championship.
Harvey Knibbs transfer latest
The former Cambridge player had a sluggish start to the season, scoring only once in his first 13 appearances in all competitions. However, since scoring three goals in a 5-0 Bristol Street Motors Trophy triumph over Swindon Town in October, he has been on fire.
Knibbs is a sought-after player going into the summer after scoring 13 goals in all competitions for a Royals team decimated by various financial concerns. His goal against Port Vale on Tuesday night was the most recent in a string of vital goals that kept his team from falling into the fourth division.
Even though the Berkshire-based squad is well-known for having financial difficulties, Knibbs and Cambridge colleague Sam Smith completed their transfer to the former Premier League side last year when they signed a three-year contract that would keep them at the Madejski Stadium until the summer of 2026.
The Royals have already lost four points from their campaign total due to two different point deductions, putting them six points ahead of the drop zone after a recent resurgence.
Knibbs has contributed to Reading’s run of only one loss in their last eight league games, and since money is tight for his present team, he might be available at a discount when the season finishes.
Bristol City’s need Knibbs to sharpen up blunt attack
Any team would benefit from having a player with Knibbs’ consistency in the goal, but for the Robins, he might be the difference between mediocrity in the middle of the table and a postseason run.
With just 38 goals scored in their 33 league games this season, Bristol City has scored fewer goals than any other side in the top half of the table.
In 2023–24, Tommy Conway set a club record with eight goals. Jason Knight followed with six, while Mark Sykes and Sam Bell each scored five.
Andi Weimann was transferred to West Bromwich Albion and is expected to leave the team in the summer, therefore City is looking for a striker who can score goals regularly in the upcoming season.
Knibbs is a goal specialist; according to FBRef, he has the highest shot on target percentage in the league this season, testing the custodian with 61.3% of his shots on goal.
In terms of goals per ninety, only Chris Martin of Bristol Rovers and Charlie Wyke of Wigan Athletic surpass him, with 0.34 and 0.33, respectively, against Knibbs’ 0.26. However, with many more minutes remaining in the season, that Return is definitely commendable.
The developing striker has handled the burden of carrying a team’s survival extra well, demonstrating that he possesses all the qualities of a Championship striker in the making.
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