Reading explains Mensah failure

Reading director of football Nicky Hammond has explained why the club failed in their summer bid to land Ghana defender John Mensah.

The Royals launched a club record bid to land the powerful centre-back from French side Rennes, but their efforts were in vain despite the player's desire to move to the Premiership.

Hammond told the club website the deal was a lot more complicated than many people realised:

"It has been widely reported that John Mensah was a player we wanted to sign. We had spotted him back in the African Nations, and he went on to have a very good World Cup playing in an excellent Ghana team. But his contractual arrangements proved to be highly complicated.

"He was on a season long loan from Chievo to Rennes of France who had a firm option to buy him at the end of that loan period.

"They did take up that option, and despite us making a number of offers to them above the money they paid Chievo, they were adamant that they were not going to sell him."

Mensah is thought to be annoyed that the move to Reading was blocked, and it is thought a new bid for the player could be launched in January.