Published: Thursday, 26th June, 2008 12:00
Royals to fight for Harper
By Charles Watts
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James Harper has been the subject of much speculation in recent weeks.
READING insist they have no intention of selling James Harper despite strong interest from Middlesbrough.
Reports from the north-east suggest that Gareth Southgate is very keen on the effervescent midfielder and that he is set to launch a £3.5 million bid for his services.
Royals director of football Nick Hammond has made it clear, however, that Harper is very much part of the club’s plans for the coming season and poured scorn on the rumours that he is about to leave.
He said: “We have absolutely no desire to lose James Harper.
“He’s a very important player to us because he gives so much to the team.
“He’s already been in this morning, training and working hard as he always does and that’s what Harps bring to the side.
“We’re not planning on losing him and there’s nothing imminent happening on that situation.”
Another player who has been attracting the attention of a Premier League club is Nicky Shorey.
Fresh from signing Glen Little, Harry Redknapp looks set to launch another raid on Reading and this week has been waxing lyrical about the left-back’s talents.
The Pompey boss said: “Shorey is a player I like. He’s a good player and a good footballer.
“We’re looking for players who would give us something a bit different, and he would do that.
“He would gives us something different to Hermann (Hreidarsson). Having said that, Hermann did a fantastic job for us and was brilliant for me.
“But we are going to need a squad and we are going to need cover. We are going to be playing more games than ever next season and it’s going to be a lot tougher for us.”
The comments are bound to annoy those at the Madejski who would prefer business to be conducted outside of the press, but Hammond admitted that in the modern world of football that is not always how it happens.
He said: “I haven’t seen his quotes. It’s something we try to steer away from but in the modern world of the Premier League it can be difficult.
“People are always asking questions about specific players and asking what their thoughts are but Portsmouth haven’t been in contact with us.
“For Steve Coppell and I, Nicky Shorey will be the best left-back in the Championship next season and we’re very lucky to have him.
“In the past, however, he has turned down the offer of a new contract and we’re mindful of that, but as far as we’re concerned he will be here next season.”
With Stephen Hunt also said to be attracting interest from Sunderland, all the talk about comings and goings at the Madejski seem to be focusing on players moving away from the club.
That is no coincidence, however, as Hammond has reiterated all Reading’s transfer dealings will be conducted out of the public eye.
He added: “We have made phone calls and we will make more phone calls as the weeks progress but I’m not about to quote on every conversation I have.
“If I do that it just breeds more and more uncertainty. We’ve always worked with the policy that it’s best to keep our business in house and we will continue to do that.”
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