JAAP Stam has revealed the full reasons why Reading FC did not sign a striker before last week’s transfer deadline.

Stam openly admitted he was chasing Fulham winger Sone Aluko and Norwich forward Nelson Oliveira in his post-match press conference after the 2-0 win at Birmingham City.

Royals eventually landed Aluko from Fulham for a club-record fee a few days later but failed in their attempt to secure Oliveira before the window closed.

And Stam, who had also been heavily linked with Brighton’s Tomer Hemed and Huddersfield’s Nahki Wells before his £5m switch to Burnley, gave a full run-down of the club’s thought process.

“We talked a lot about bringing someone (a striker) in,” he explained. “We had several names but if that’s not possible you are looking at the next level down.

“It’s hard because clubs don’t want to sell their best striker so eventually you look at another player and ask if he better than what we already have.

“Sometimes you conclude it is better to do nothing and to use someone in your own squad to play up there and do the job for you.”

Reading were eventually priced out of the market by Norwich over Oliveira, with Canaries thought to be asking in the region of £9m.

Stam added: “We spoke to a lot of players but for certain reasons ¬– and most of the time it’s money – you can’t bring them in.

“Other times a club says the offer is good but they won’t let the player go, that’s how it goes.

“We want players who make our squad better. To be honest Oliveira wasn’t the type of player who would be very good for us, but he was just too expensive.”

Reading Chronicle:

Royals manager Jaap Stam in discussion with first-team coach, Said Bakkati.

Nevertheless, Stam is confident Royals have added plenty of goals to the team after signing seven new players this summer including Wolves striker Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, who opened his account in the victory at Birmingham City last time out.

Swansea City’s Mo Barrow, Aston Villa’s Leandro Bacuna and Aluko also offer plenty of attacking threat, while last season’s 19-goal top scorer Yann Kermorgant could be fit within a couple of weeks after recovering from a hip and groin operation.

“I’m very happy with our squad,” Stam declared: “We worked very hard to get players in and we have several options up front, all of whom can score goals.

“Yann Kermorgant is also coming back within a couple of weeks which makes us even stronger.

“We are not worried at all, we still have a quality squad and there are a lot of choices to be made.

“We talked last season about which players to bring in so I’m very happy with what the owners have done for the squad.

“Talk to any manager and he will say he would rather have one more player.”

Clubs are still able to sign free agents even though the transfer window has closed, though Stam says Royals are unlikely to go down that road.

“It’s a possibility but we’ll only bring in players who will make us better, not because they are free or may have done well in the past,” he stressed.

“He needs to be really fit and a good player but maybe there is always a question mark why they are free agents now and don’t have a club.”

Stam was also eyeing up Chelsea starlet Kyle Scott over the summer but decided against striking a deal with the Blues, though he could return for the 19-year-old when the transfer window reopens in January.