JAAP Stam is urging Leicester City to put Liam Moore’s interests first as Reading FC continue to chase the highly-rated defender.

Stam is desperate to sign the 23-year-old star, but the Foxes are reluctant to let him go.

Moore has not been issued with a squad number for the new season by the Premier League champions and it is thought he has not been given a locker in the first-team changing room.

But while Moore’s future appears to lie elsewhere, Leicester have refused to strike a deal with Reading – much to Stam’s frustration.

“The thing is, I can’t do anything about it, I need to wait as well,” said the Royals boss.

“Every week we are talking about players coming in or maybe not. That’s still going on.

“But I have said before that I hope maybe one or two players will come to us.

“It just keeps dragging on to be fair. We would have liked to have got another couple of players in a couple of weeks ago, but that’s still going on and on.

“Sometimes you don’t know why it takes that long. But sometimes the clubs also needs to work with the player.

“If they are not going to be playing, he is not improving.”

Reading have made nine signings in the summer transfer window with the arrival of Sandro Wieser yesterday plus Callum Harriott, Danzell Gravenberch, Joey van den Berg, Anssi Jaakkola, Joseph Mendes, John Swift, Roy Beerens and Yakou Meite before him.

Stam now has less than two weeks to go before the window closes on August 31 to push any more deals over the line.

And the ex-Netherlands and Manchester United defender is clearly frustrated with Leicester’s stance over Moore.

“It’s not easy for me to decide how it goes, but sometimes you have to look at what’s best for the player,” he stressed.

“Can you send him on loan, can you sell him or does he need to develop?

“I don’t know the whole situation but I think for him he needs to be playing somewhere.”

Meanwhile, Reading have also been linked with Slovenia international winger, Matic Crnic.

The 24-year-old caught the eye playing for Slovenian outfit Domzale last season, with his seven goals and three assists helping them finish third in the table.

Crnic was also part of the side that lost to West Ham in the recent Europa League qualifiers, scoring twice over the two legs.

But Royals may face competition from Championship rivals Leeds United plus Croatian sides Hadjuk Split and Rijeka.

Reading will hope to bounce back from Wednesday night's 4-1 defeat at Newcastle United when they host Brighton tomorrow (3pm ko).