Club's Thai-based consortium made call to cash in on top striker

Royals sold top scorer Blackman to the Rams on Tuesday in a deal that could rise to £4 million.

The 26-year-old had failed to agree new terms with Reading and opted for a move to Derby after snubbing Sheffield Wednesday.

While McDermott admitted it was 'good business' to cash in on a player who had only six months left on his contract at Madejski  Stadium, he confessed the decision was not his but the club's Thai owners.

He told today's press conference: “The situation was that from a club perspective, Nick had six months to go on his contract and he walks away in May on a free transfer.

“Or the club are business orientated and get this or that amount of money for him.

“You can look at it both ways, but your shareholders will make a decision.

“The call has been made and as a manager you have to try and find a solution to that and do the best we can.”

However, McDermott refused to go along with irate fans who argue that selling your 13-goal top scorer to a Championship rival smacks of a lack of ambition from the Royals.

“I'd like to think we are all ambitious,” he stressed. “We want to go to Huddersfield on Saturday and Derby on Tuesday and win.

“Are we ambitious? Of course we are ambitious.

“These things happen in football. I'm comfortable with everything that's going on at the moment and that's important for me.”

McDermott will try and replace Blackman in the January transfer window and Reading are being heavily linked with 19-year-old Arsenal forward, Alex Iwobi.

Iwobi has made five appearances for the Gunners this season and boss Arsene Wenger is keen to loan him out to gain more first-team experience.

But McDermott, who left his post as Arsenal scout to become Reading manager a second time, denied he had contacted his old club about the England U18 striker.

“I have not spoken to Arsenal about Alex Iwobi,” he insisted.

“I know Arsenal and their players pretty, well but I don't want to talk about Arsenal's players.

“Alex Iwobi is a terrific talent, but we're just trying to do what we're trying to do which is as quietly as we possibly can so it works out best for the long-term vision of the club.

“It's difficult. I've only been here two or three weeks which is no time at all to make an imprint, but we'll get there.”

It is understood Royals are eyeing Crystal Palace out-of-favour striker, Dwight Gayle.

The 26-year-old has made only seven Premier League appearances this season and McDermott could ask his close friend and ex-Royals boss, Alan Pardew, for a favour.

However, McDermott says is not a fan of loan deals unless they lead to a permanent transfer.

“I don't really want too many loans, I've got six already,” he declared.

“If we bring another it's seven so two can't be involved in the team. I've never been one to bring in a lot of loans.

“The only real ones I took were Andy Griffin and Mikele Leigertwood with a view to signing them.

"My feeling is if you sign a player on loan you have to have an opportunity to sign him [permanently].”

Nevertheless, McDermott also admits some loan players are different and he highlighted Matej Vydra's influence in the winning goal against Bristol City on Saturday as a perfect example.

“Sometimes loan players don't feel they are part of the club,” he suggested. “I'm not saying that's the situation here.

“Look at what Matej Vydra did on Saturday. He gave ball away, ran straight after it and get it back with a fantastic tackle.

“He wasn't thinking he was a loan player, he was thinking 'I'm a Reading player and I'm going to do well.'

“Now every time someone loses the ball I say 'go and do a Matej Vydra,' which means win it back.

“I kind of like that.”

Reading go to Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup third round this Saturday (3pm).

Simon Cox could be added to the Reading squad after ending his loan move at Bristol City.