Steve Coppell has told Reading chairman John Madejski that major investment is needed in the squad to survive in the Premier League, reports the Reading Chronicle.

Madejski is prepared to back his manager in the January transfer window following the team's sluggish start to the season.

And Coppell said: "Players want to come to clubs with ambition, and we like to think we've got ambition.

"If you look at the summer, Man United and Liverpool spent £40 million each, we spent hardly anything. So by definition we're losing ground.

"So for this club to be ambitious we've got to be acquiring a minimum of three substantial signings every year.

"As time goes by those signings will become more expensive. For us to make those signings players have got to want to come here.

"They've got to see the ambition, it's got to be tangible in the form of expensive signings, a bigger stadium. Everything about the club has got to meet the demands of the modern Premier League player."