READING FC boss Jaap Stam has handed the club’s board a January wish list.

Stam is eager to strengthen his squad during the upcoming transfer window and continue to climb the Championship table.

Manchester United striker James Wilson has been strongly linked with a move to Madejski Stadium after Royals missed out on several attacking targets last summer.

And assistant boss Andries Ulderink says their hopes of bringing in reinforcements rests with director of football, Brian Tevreden.

“We’ve spoken about it and the board knows our wishes, but I can’t tell you what they are,” declared Ulderink. “It’s more a question for Brian Tevreden.

“It’s up to the board with the transfer money to look at players who are available. We’ll see how it goes.

“At the moment the focus for us is on the team. We’re in a good place and have players like John Swift, Garath McCleary and George Evans to come back from injury. When they do we will have squad of real quality, so it’s not like we need loads of players.”

Reading Chronicle:

Reading assistant manager, Andries Ulderink, left.

It is thought Royals were close to signing Nelson Oliveira from Norwich City last summer but were put off by a whopping £8m price tag.

And Ulderink insists Reading will not be breaking the bank in January either and that they will not sign players for the sake of it.

“It must be a quality striker because there is no point in getting one in just because we want to,” he declared.

“A couple of times last summer people were asking crazy money for strikers. We are not a club who will do that, we will stay calm and maybe do nothing.

“We’re in a really good position now with Yann Kermorgant getting fitter and fitter.”

He added: “We also have a bit more time to look a bit further away. The market in England is difficult to get in talented players.

“Over here it’s not strange to see clubs asking for £8 million, but if you go to Europe it’s huge money for a lot of clubs.

“That’s transfers, it’s the game you always have to play.

“Hopefully we can bring in one or two new players, but we don’t need four or five.”

Reading Chronicle:

Norwich City striker Nelson Oliveira, left, was a summer target for Royals boss Jaap Stam. Picture: Joe Giddens/PA Wire.

While Reading close in on their chief transfer target they are also determined not to lose any of their own players in the January transfer window.

Central defender Liam Moore and midfield duo Liam Kelly and John Swift have all been linked with Premier League clubs in the past.

Ulderink stated: “A few players are doing well for us so you never know what’s going to happen in terms of interest, especially with those maybe on the bench.

“That game will start in the next couple of weeks and we have to be ready for that because if somebody leaves we will have to get someone else in. We don’t want to get weaker, we want to get stronger.

“You know how it goes and we have to be ready for that. Brian and the scouts have to anticipate that. That’s the key for us.”

Reading return to Championship action tonight when they host Neil Warnock's Cardiff City (8pm ko, live Sky Sports).

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