READING FC Player of the Year Liam Moore is being chased by Brighton & Hove Albion.

Premier League Seagulls are trying to beef up their defence and see centre-back Moore as the ideal fit.

Brighton boss Chris Hughton is keen to get his business done early and has already signed two players since the end of the campaign with the capture of defender Leon Balogun from Mainz and striker Florin Andone from Deportivo La Coruna.

The south-coast club are now thought to be tracking 25-year-old Moore to increase competition in the centre-back area where crowd favourites Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy are currently first choice.

But it is likely to take a massive bid to tempt Reading into selling Moore, who has three years left to run on his contract.

However, Moore is determined to return to the top-flight as quickly as possible and could be unsettled by the news of Brighton’s interest.

Moore has become one of the best defenders in the Championship over the past two season, having joined from Leicester City in June 2016.

Royals may have needed a 0-0 draw at Cardiff City on the last day to avoid relegation last season, but Moore once again stood out time and time again.

He completed the rare feat of playing every minute of every league game, blocked the most shots in the Championship (51), averaged 7.3 clearances per game and completed the most passes in his own half of the pitch (1547).

Reading Chronicle:

Centre-back Liam Moore played every minute of every league game last season.

Moore also chipped in with three goals and one assist last season and was ever-present under both Jaap Stam and Paul Clement.

Former Reading assistant manager Andries Ulderink, who left the club when Stam departed in March, said in January the club would ‘turn down £30 million’ if someone made a bid for Moore.

Clement completed his first permanent signing as Reading boss recently with the capture of right-back Andy Yiadom from Barnsley on a free.

He is also being linked with Portsmouth defender, Matt Clarke, Barnsley winger, Adam Hammill, and Czech Republic striker, Michael Krmencik, of Viktoria Plzen.

Clement is keen to play a more attacking style of football next season and only wants new players who can adapt to that style.

“We want to bring in the right kind of quality and establish an offensive style of play here,” he said.

“I have ideas, but it can be more difficult to make ideas a reality.

“The easier part can be identifying players, the tougher part is recruiting them and whether they want to come and be a part of what we are doing.

“We have to look at whether it works out financially, but we will be working hard to make sure we get some decent additions for the squad.”