Reading have the same wage bill as Champions League side Atalanta, according to ESPN commentator Matteo Bonetti.

The well-known ESPN man tweeted it out during the Italian side's 4-1 victory over Valencia in the Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday night.

Atalanta are currently fourth in Serie A, and are competing with Italian giants such as AS Roma and Inter Milan for a place in the Champions League next season.

In the current Champions League campaign, the first in the club's history, Atalanta qualified for the knock-out stages from a group, which included sides such as Shakhtar Donetsk and Manchester City.

Reading, on the other hand, play their football in the second division of English football and have signed a number of players in big money moves in an attempt to return to the Premier League.

It's a comparison that requires further evidence, but if true shows the type of financial power that is now present in English football.

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The Verdict

Reading have a number of players on high wages and they've publicly made a conscious effort to try and reduce the wage bill after the last couple of years.

The Royals still have players such as Chris Gunter and Garath McCleary, who were signed ready for the Premier League.

Atalanta are something of a fairytale story having climbed up Serie A in recent years but it is not a link that is particularly flattering for the Royals.

What the ESPN journalist says more about Reading and puts a damning light on their current predicament.