Coppell: Royals losing Sidwell battle

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The 24-year-old is out of contract with the Royals at the end of the season and, while Coppell would love to retain the services of one of the club's driving forces, he believes the lure of playing for the Premiership's big hitters could tempt the former Arsenal trainee away from Berkshire.

He told Sky Sports News: "I anticipate that he won't be here next year so we will have to chop and change in the midfield department. This is an exciting time for him and I'm sure a lot of clubs would love to sign him."

He added: "When the big boys come in, it's hard for players to resist. We understand that but we don't necessarily like this law of the jungle."

Coppell first worked with Sidwell when he signed the Wandsworth-born player on loan during his spell in charge at Brentford and the player linked up with him again in 2003.

And while Coppell paid tribute to Sidwell's efforts for Reading, he admits the midfielder might struggle to deal with taking a lesser role at a more prestigious club.

He added: "Steve is a battler and thrives on the physical challenge of playing every week. So I'm not sure whether he would be comfortable playing for a team that rotates their players.

"But I think the improvement he has shown since I signed him at Brentford has been all too apparent. He wants to get to the very top of the tree and you can't fault that kind of drive."