Football League World
·29 November 2024
Football League World
·29 November 2024
Reading manager Ruben Selles is optimistic that the club will not have to sell players in the January transfer window.
Reading released a statement on Thursday afternoon confirming that talks were ongoing between owner Dai Yongge and an unnamed party who are looking to buy the club, and while they stressed that both sides are committed to finalising a deal, they admitted it was a "complicated and lengthy process".
While negotiations are continuing with the new prospective buyer, it was revealed this week that former Wycombe Wanderers owner Rob Couhig, whose takeover attempt collapsed in September, is set to take a claim to the High Court as he looks to try to force Yongge to sell the club to him.
With little sign of an imminent resolution to the situation, it seems certain that the Royals will go into the New Year with Yongge still at the helm, and that has raised fears of potential departures in January, just like last season when Tom Holmes, Tom McIntyre, Nelson Abbey and Caylan Vickers were all sold during the winter window.
One player that Reading could be vulnerable to losing is defender Tyler Bindon, with Championship side Blackburn Rovers said to be "heading the race" for the 19-year-old, who is out of contract at the Select Car Leasing Stadium in the summer.
Despite the ownership turmoil, it has been an excellent start to the season for the Royals on the pitch, and they currently sit seventh in the table, level on points with the play-off places, so it is clear to see why Selles is desperate to keep hold of his stars.
With concerns increasing about the prospect of departures in January, Selles insisted he is optimistic that the club will not need to sell any of their best players, although he admitted the situation could change.
"It has happened in the past and I hope it will not happen in the future. As much as we talk right now, nobody from the club has given me any evidence that we will sell any players. We actually cannot sell any players because we will not be competitive," Selles told The Reading Chronicle.
"We are under transfer embargo still with the EFL and not only can’t we make any transfers, we cannot sign anyone even on loan- that is information we have from the EFL. We are now quite limited in our resources, so I don’t expect to lose any players in the January transfer window.
"I know things can change and next week or another we can be told something, but it will not be acceptable if we lose players and can’t replace them."
Selles also spoke out about the ownership situation at the club, and while he conceded that the takeover process is complicated, he called for clarity and an end to the uncertainty.
"The situation is complex. I have spoken many times on that, and we had a situation when Rob Couhig’s project didn’t go through that we expected more," Selles said.
"It is time to solve the situation from the club, the current ownership, in one way or another. We need to stop speculating. All we want is to play football matches and be together with the fans, not thinking about wages, hotels or selling players.
"If the situation is that we need to sell players, we need to sit all together and say, ‘What is the best scenario and what can we do?’ We need some transparency."
Selles' comments may offer some reassurance to Reading supporters that there will not be a fire sale in the January window, but with Yongge still in charge, it is difficult to be certain that there will be no departures.
Holmes, McIntyre, Abbey and Vickers were all sold for cut-price fees last January to help bring in funds to keep the club running, and Selles was not even informed of some of their exits before the deals were agreed, so the Spaniard will no doubt be anxious with the window fast approaching.
Bindon has been one of the shining lights for the Royals during a turbulent period since joining the club from Los Angeles FC last summer, and with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, Blackburn will be hopeful they can land his signature in January.