James Harper believes it will be hard for Reading to keep their best players following relegation.
Midfielder accepts departures are likely
Reading midfielder James Harper believes it will be hard for the club to keep its best players following relegation to the Championship.
Manager Steve Coppell has pledged his future to the club after they returned to the second tier after two seasons in the Premier League.
But several players have been linked with moves away, and Harper believes it will be hard for the Royals to keep all their squad together.
He told
Sky Sports News: "The club are going to have a job holding onto some of them because they're really good, but that's what you get paid to do - you get paid to perform.
Performed well
"I know we've had a disappointing season but some of them have performed well."
Asked if it would surprise him if quite a few of them did leave, such as the likes of Nicky Shorey and Stephen Hunt, he replied: "It wouldn't surprise me because they've done really well and they've proved they are good Premiership players so it wouldn't surprise me if any of them left."
He added that he had not spoken to many players, such as Hunt who had got married and was away, as was Kevin Doyle.
"I haven't spoken to them but it wouldn't surprise me if the club have had offers for them and it's whether the club wants to do business."
