Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman labelled Reading 'unbelievably broken' amid a progressing takeover.

The former Wolves and West Brom forward, who scored against the Royals for Walsall in the 2001 play-off final, has been a regular on Football League coverage for a decade.

Speaking to Online Betting Guide (OLBG), the striker was quizzed on Reading and their off-field situation.

Sitting bottom of League One after being relegated from the Championship last season, the Royals have been deducted 16 points in the last three years for financial mismanagement, with owner Dai Yongge paying players and HMRC late on multiple occasions.

There is hope on the horizon, however, with staff hopeful that a takeover will go through in the near future.

One name heavily linked is Sports Direct magnate and former Newcastle United owner, Mike Ashley.

"I think Mike Ashley is linked with every club! He was linked with Derby, Sheffield Wednesday and now Reading," Goodman said.

"None of those three clubs are Newcastle United, and it's impossible to judge him on that when talking about Championship clubs. All three of them were a bit broken to various degrees. Reading are unbelievably broken! It's just such a mess. They've failed to pay players, taxes and they've had embargoes and points deductions.

"My heart goes out to Reading fans. All you can do is point them to clubs like Wigan and Blackpool. I remember feeling really sorry for fans of those clubs, but they ended up having relative success in the Premier League.

Reading Chronicle:

"I'm not saying that will happen to Reading, but they need an owner. They need patience. The harsh reality is, we could be talking about Reading as a League Two club next year, which is sad. It's a result of gross mismanagement. I think anybody would be better than Dai Yongge!

"Mike Ashley is a shrewd businessman with plenty of football experience. He may or may not be the best man for the job, but he'd certainly be better than the current owner."