Coppell: Looming takeover at Reading will unsettle promotion push

(Photo: Action Images / Matthew Childs)

Reading favourite Steve Coppell has declared his concern over the club’s takeover by Chinese investors, describing takeovers as something which ‘shouldn’t affect the players but unbelievably it does.”

Wealthy Chinese siblings Dai Yongge and Dai Xiu Li have been in closing discussions with the Royals’ Thai owners since the end of November 2016, and are believed to hold a combined worth of almost £1.6bn.

But despite the increase in wealth the new buyers may bring, Coppell has stated that the takeover risks unsettling Jaap Stam and his squad with the chance of promotion to the Premier League within their grasp.

“Jaap seems to be doing really well but one thing that does concern me is that I keep reading about a change of ownership,” Coppell told Sky Sports.

“You look at that and you think that it shouldn’t affect the players but unbelievably it does.

“Whenever there are ownership changes, even when it results in very minimal change to personnel and the way the team is run, it somehow always affects performances.

Retail tycoons Yongge and Xiu Li turned their attention towards Reading following the collapse of their Hull City buy-out last Autumn when the pair failed the Premier League’s owners’ and directors’ test.

If given the go ahead, Reading would become the fifth club in English football to be owned by Chinese money. Following hot on the heels of takeovers at West Brom, Aston Villa, Wolves and Birmingham City.

In a rapid turnaround in fortunes since a change in management, Stam’s Reading sit third in the Championship table six points off Newcastle United above them with a game in hand.

Whereas at the same stage last season Brian McDermott’s Reading were 13 points worse off and on their way towards a 17th-placed finish.