Leam Richardson has expressed confidence in Reading's ownership group to finish the transfer window as the club needs, saying he has "full faith" that the squad will have sufficient depth by the time the deadline arrives.

The Reading manager spoke to BBC Radio Berkshire ahead of the Royals' opening League One fixture at home to Luton Town on Saturday, a game that marks his first full pre-season in charge at Select Car Leasing Stadium.

Richardson took over in late October last season, when the club were drifting, and steered them to a 12th-place finish. Modest enough, but that context matters: he inherited a mid-table mess with no pre-season relationship with the playing group. This summer has been a different proposition, and his tone reflects it.

"Everyone's optimistic and really looking forward to the start," he said. "We know where the squad is at and we've had lots of conversations about making sure that we get the right people in for us this summer. I have full faith in the ownership group and Joe [Jacobson, co-CEO] that when the window closes we have the right players and the depth that we need to tackle the challenge in front of us."

Owner Rob Couhig has already set the target publicly, telling BBC Radio Berkshire that the club will be active in the remaining weeks of the window and that promotion is the explicit aim. That kind of statement from a chairman can read as pressure dressed up as encouragement, but Richardson appears to be taking it at face value rather than treating it as background noise.

"All of us at the club know what we want to achieve," the manager added. "This season we'll try to do that wholeheartedly with hard work and professionalism and try to represent every single Reading fan because we know how good this club is."

The language is, it has to be said, pre-season boilerplate in places. "Hard work and professionalism" is not exactly a tactical blueprint. But there is something more specific in Richardson's repeated reference to depth. A 46-game third-tier season is as much a test of squad resources as it is of quality, and finishing 12th last year almost certainly owed something to a thin group being asked to carry too much.

Couhig's comments about "sustainable" operations, reported separately, suggest the ownership is at least aware that spending without structure tends to end badly in this division. Reading's recent history includes years of severe financial turbulence and points deductions, so supporters could be forgiven for treating proclamations of ambition with a degree of caution.

Still, Richardson's pre-season has been an opportunity to build something from scratch rather than firefight, and that distinction is significant. Whether the recruitment follows through is the open question. Clubs in League One routinely talk up their windows in August and count the cost in December.

For now, attention turns to Saturday. A home opener against Luton gives Richardson's side the chance to set an early tone in front of what should be a sizeable crowd at Select Car Leasing Stadium, with supporters eager to see whether the optimism translates into a performance worth backing.

"I'm really positive and excited to see the supporters again and I'm really excited to see what is to come this season," Richardson said. "We need their support as they will need us to give them performances and results to get behind as well."

That, at least, is a fair exchange to propose.

Frequently asked

What position did Reading finish last season in League One?
Reading finished 12th in League One last season, after Leam Richardson took charge in late October, replacing Noel Hunt.
Who owns Reading FC?
Reading are owned by Rob Couhig, who has publicly stated his ambition for the club to be promoted from League One this season.
When do Reading start their League One season?
Reading open their League One campaign at home to Luton Town on Saturday, 16 August 2026.