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Reading have emerged as a potential rival to Luton Town‘s interest in Birmingham City full-back Lee Buchanan. The Hatters were tipped with a move for the 25-year-old after his appearance for the Blues in their pre-season friendly against Barcelona, with Birmingham Live revealing that Chris Powell attended the game to scout several players of interest in Bedfordshire. Royals Enter Battle Now, according to a report from Darren Witcoop, an alternative League One option has come forward, with Reading beginning to show interest in a possible loan move alongside Luton. Buchanan has faced a long battle to return to fitness ahead of the opening game of the season this weekend, after sucumbing to consecutive injuries which have meant the former Derby County man has gone 20 months without playing a competitive game. Arriving at St. Andrew’s in 2023 from Bundesliga side Werder Bremen, the left-back played 39 times before a knee injury against Blackpool in 2024 derailed his progress as a key player in the Blues squad during their League One title-winning season. However, he is set for talks with Chris Davies in the coming weeks to resolve his future, with the Blues recruiting Kristoffer Lund to replace the outgoing Kai Wagner to complement Alex Cochrane. Leam Richardson already has both Jeriel Dorsett and Haydon Roberts in his squad ahead of their opener against Bromley in the EFL Cup, with the League One club also looking at free agents to bolster their defensive options. Buchanan Deal Can Rearrange Backline With a shakeup of their defensive unit on the cards following Ryan Nyambe’s return to Derby County after his loan spell, Reading adding Lee Buchanan could be the ideal option to allow for a shift. The Royals are lacking many true left-backs in their ranks, and while Haydon Roberts is more than adept to play the wing-back role required in Leam Richardson’s plans, he could certainly be repurposed into playing in the back three. Interest in Lee Buchanan does come with a major risk having not played a competitive fixture in close to two years, but with him finally coming through pre-season fit enough to play, allowing him to be loaned out is the ideal next step in his recovery. While Luton do offer an equally attractive option with Jack Wilshere’s side likely to be competitive in the promotion race, Reading could offer him a lot more game time with a relative lack of competition for places.