Malta’s top striker Michael Mifsud could soon be playing in the English Premiership if rumours in England turn to be true.

At least two websites, clubcall and vital Reading, yesterday claimed that the English Premiership side Reading were showing a certain amount of interest in the former Sliema, Kaiserslautern, Lillestrom and Malta striker Mifsud, who is now playing for Coventry City in England’s Championship.

Vital Reading said that Mifsud had become the target of the Premiership club. In a short article under the heading ‘Is Mifsud the answer’, it said Reading manager Steve Coppell had admitted that he would be spending money in the January transfer market. That is, probably, why Mifsud has now been linked to a big money move to Reading.

According to the website, some tabloids were saying that Coppell had one of his assistants, Wally Downes, checking on the Maltese striker while playing for Coventry. Mifsud has shot to fame in the Championship especially after he scored twice at Old Trafford for Coventry to eliminate Manchester United from the Carling (League) Cup.

The sum of £5 million has been mentioned, but at present, it seems unlikely that such a move will materialise.

Another website, Clubcall, said that Mifsud had been linked with a January move to Reading after it was reported that manager Steve Coppell vowed to spend some money in the transfer window.

Reading have not had a satisfying start to this season and are in the lower half of the Premiership standings.

Clubcall said: “Coppell is looking to try and target a number of players he can bring in to ensure they are not dragged into the relegation battle given that they sit just five points clear of the drop zone.”

Coppell was quoted as having told the Reading Chronicle that a lot of work had to be done to improve the club’s position in the standings. He said: “Maybe there’s more of a gap between the top and the bottom now. We’re competing against teams who spent £40 million in the summer when there was a real investment surge.”

Mifsud, nicknamed ‘Mosquito’, was born 17 April 17, 1981 in Pietà, Malta. He is a product of Sliema Wanderers. Before joining Coventry, he played for Sliema Wanderers, Kaiserslautern and Lillestrøm.

After starring for Sliema in the Maltese Premier League, he moved on to Germany’s Kaiserslautern in 2000 only to return to Malta in 2004. Later he joined Lillestrom in Norway where at one stage voted the best foreign player in the league. He was the club’s top scorer in the 2006 season with 11 goals in 19 appearances.

In 2006, he declined to renew his contract with Lillestrøm to fulfil his wish to turn out for a club in a major European league. Besides Coventry City, Premier League clubs Watford and Sheffield United, as well as Championship club Leeds United were said to be interested in signing him on a free transfer upon the expiry of his contract.

It was on 10 January of this year that Mifsud signed a two-and-a-half year deal with Coventry City scoring his first goal on 22 January, in an away game against Plymouth Argyle. He obviously rose to fame in the third round of the Carling Cup, when on 26 September he scored two goals to give Coventry an unexpected 2-0 victory over Premier League champions, Manchester United, his boyhood team. It was Italy’s top sports newspaper, La Gazzetta dello Sport, that nicknamed him as Il Messi Di Malta (the Messi of Malta), in a direct reference to Lionel Messi of Barcelona and Argentina, after the match.

After that success, Mifsud continued to show exceptional form. He scored several other goals in the Championship since then but on 12 November, Mifsud was sent off after just 11 minutes of a Midlands derby against West Bromwich Albion, after elbowing Carl Hoefkens in the face.

After that red card, Mifsud said sorry to the Coventry City fans. It was a severe blow for Coventry’s hopes of beating rivals West Bromwich. Coventry lost that match 0-4.