Speaking after the opening day defeat to Blackpool, Reading manager Paul Ince said he is still after a left-back, midfielder and striker before the end of the transfer window this month.
Still under an embargo, it will remain free agents and loan deals for the remainder of the season.
READ MORE: Reading FC transfers: Three left back's available this summer
We look at three midfielders on the market that the Royals could pick up this month.
Moussa Dembele
An iconic central midfielder of the 2010s, the former Belgian international was a fan favourite at Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur.
Racking up more than 200 appearances for the London sides before heading off to China, the 35-year-old rejected a new deal with Guangzhou City earlier in the year to spend more time with his family.
The epitome of box-to-box, there is no doubt he could still do a job for a season in the Championship despite being in the final throws of his career.
Lukas Rupp
Playing Premier League football as recently as last year, 31-year-old Rupp was released by Norwich City following their relegation.
Hampered by injuries at Carrow Road, he played more than 60 times in two-and-a-half years in East Anglia.
Having a solid career in the Bundesliga for almost a decade previously, the former Hoffenheim man would improve the midfield of most second-tier sides.
Fabian Delph
A two-time Premier League winner with Manchester City, Delph has spent all bar one season in the top tier with the likes of Leeds United, Aston Villa, Everton and the Citizens.
Collecting 20 caps for his country on the way, and someone comfortable at filling in t left- back where required (another problem position for Paul Ince) the 32-year-old would fit right in were it not for his probable astronomical wage demands.
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