JAAP Stam has revealed he had no inkling of another potential takeover at Reading FC when he was offered the manager’s job.

Royals’ Thai owners appear to be on the verge of selling a majority share to a Chinese consortium led by Dai Yongee and sister Dai Xiu Li.

The football-loving siblings tried to buy Hull City in the summer for around £130 million, only to see the deal collapse.

The Chronicle understands Yongee, Xiu Li and their representatives were given a recent tour of Reading’s Hogwood Park training ground and were also shown around Bearwood, where the club’s new state-of-the-art training facility will soon be based.

It is believed the Thais, led by Sumrith ‘Tiger’ Thanakarnjanasuth, are now in advanced talks with the Chinese group over selling up to 75% of their shares.

When asked if he was aware of Chinese interest when he replaced Brian McDermott in June on an initial two-and-a-half contract, Stam said: “No I wasn’t.

"When I came here I spoke with the owners and with Brian Tevreden the technical director about what to do with the club, and what they wanted to achieve.

“Everyone is aware of that and after that you try and focus on your job and perform as a team.

“The owners are probably not going to talk to me or ask for my permission to sell the club.”

He added: “You don’t know what new owners want to do when they come into a club.

“Maybe they want a different manager. You just don’t know what will happen.

“We’ll wait and see if it goes through and what they want to do with the technical staff and whether they want to improve the squad.”

Yongee and Xiu Li already own Beijing Renhe FC in China, but are looking to branch out into English football.

If the takeover goes through it will lead to another major restructure behind the scenes and at boardroom level.

Only this week Pairoj Piempongsant became a new director of Reading Football Holdings Limited alongside Tiger, who owns 25%, and Narin Niruttinanon, who owns 50%.

Royals co-chairwoman Lady Sasima Srivikorn looks certain to sell her remaining 25% as part of the takeover and cut all ties with the club.

Piempongsant has been heavily involved with Reading since 2014 when he brokered the deal that saw the Thais assume control from Sir John Madejski and Russian billionaire, Anton Zingarevich. It is thought he will continue working for the club if the Chinese deal goes through.

Stam believes takeovers of this nature are common in football.

“It happens everywhere and in all countries,” suggested the 44-year-old Dutchman. “Certain people are looking to buy a club and they want success.

“How they are going to achieve that success is a different question.

“Sometimes it can make it a bit more interesting, it can stir things up as well.”

He also stressed: “You want to work in good harmony as everybody does, and keep working the way you have up to now while looking for improvement in the squad.

“Everything up until now has been very clear. We have the owners and Brian Tevreden as technical director working with the team and trying to get good results.

“That is what we will still try and do. If this is going to happen, and I don’t know if it will, what then?

“It’s just a case of keep working and wait and see.”