Reading Director of Football Operations Mark Bowen has laid down the gauntlet to rival clubs, emphatically stating that 'this is no fire sale.'

Tom Holmes has departed for Premier League Luton Town so far this month, albeit he is returning on loan until the end of the season.

Talk has been rife of Nelson Abbey, Charlie Savage and Sam Smith heading out of the door, with many fearing it could be on the cheap due to the club's off-field struggles.

However, Bowen sat for his first on-record interview with local media for over 18 months, and emphatically vowed to keep hold of his stars.

"Am I confident (of keeping players)? I don’t know. The most important thing is keeping Reading Football Club as strong as it can possibly be. The football side of things. With that in mind, we’ll see what the rest of the window brings. I’ve got to try, in my power and Ruben’s, that the squad is as strong as it can possibly be by the time February 1 comes."

Pressed further on the cut-price possibilities, Bowen added: "It is difficult. We have to make sure that the message is out there that this is no fire sale. We aren’t just going to be little Reading who rolls over and lets our players go. In the best possible way I can, that isn’t going to happen."