READING FC are close to signing Tyler Blackett from Manchester United.

Royals boss Jaap Stam is a huge fan of the 22-year-old defender, whose first-team chances appear limited under new United manager, Jose Mourinho.

A host of rival Championship and Premier League clubs have also been linked with Blackett, who spent last season on loan at Celtic.

But Blackett watched Reading's encouraging 2-2 draw with Brighton at the Madejski Stadium in person on Saturday, suggesting Stam has won the race for his signature.

Rumours suggest Blackett is due to undergo a medical at Reading today, though Stam remained cagey about another potential signing during his post-match press conference, saying: “I don’t know, but we’re still looking for a couple of signings.

“I know Tyler, not personally, but I know what he can do and what type of player he is.

“But I don’t know yet if it’s going to happen.

“We’ve shown our interest but I don’t know if we will succeed getting him to the club.”

Royals added another defender to their ranks late on Friday when Liam Moore became Stam's 10th capture of the summer.

The 23-year-old joined Royals from Leicester City for a fee of around £1 million.

Moore completed a medical at Madejski Stadium before signing a four-year contract.

And Stam believes Moore will add plenty of pace to his defence.

“Liam is the type of defender who can play high up the pitch, because he has pace and he can cover distances quickly should the opposition play long balls over the top or try to get in behind the back line,” said Royals' boss.

“He is comfortable on the ball and can play it out from the back, he is an aggressive defender and good in one-on-one situations. I’m really pleased he has joined our squad at Reading.”

Stam also said it took Reading weeks of hard work to push the deal through.

“As we have spoken about, it has dragged on for weeks now,” he explained.

“Liam is the type of player we need in the squad. He has quality, he has pace, he is good on the ball. So I’m very happy that we have got him into our squad.

“The only thing now is for him to get used to everybody here and used to our system, but I am confident that is going to work out well.

He added: “It is always good to work with young players – not only do we want to make the team better, but we also want to develop the players.

“If you work with young, talented players you can help them out and make them a lot stronger. They can have big value for the team, and also for the club.”

Stam had been chasing the 6ft 1ins defender for most of the summer, but Reading struggled to strike a deal with the Foxes who had offered Moore a new contract, preferring to loan him out for the season.

But when they did not issue the Loughborough-born player with a first-team squad number, Stam stepped up his interest and beat a string of rival Championship clubs to his signature.

Royals chief executive Nigel Howe said: “It has taken a lot of hard work to get Liam’s move over the line and we are thrilled to welcome a player of his ability to Madejski Stadium.”

Moore rose through the Leicester Academy ranks before making his first team debut in a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace in January 2012..

The ex-England Under 21 international went on to make more than 100 appearances, scoring one goal.

He played 33 times in the Leicester side that won the Championship title in 2013.

He has enjoyed loan spells with Bradford under former Royals skipper Phil Parkinson, Brentford and Bristol City.

Reading are back in action at Madejski Stadium tomorrow night when they take on MK Dons in the EFL Cup second round (8pm ko).