Reading boss Brian McDermott says a deal for TP Mazembe defender Stopilla Sunzu fell through due to agents.

With a number of agents seemingly speaking on behalf of the 23-year-old the transfer hit a series of complications before eventually collapsing.

McDermott told the Reading Post: "There are a lot of agents out there and the toughest thing about players, especially abroad, is finding the agent.

"There are a number of agents that say they represent the player, so it's the toughest thing to try and be a detective and find out who the agent is.

"It's more straightforward here in this country.

"You can find the agent very easily, they will be genuine and that is it.

"Abroad you have agents who claim to represent players who have mandates to get the player and bring him into the club.

"And a lot of the time it's not the case.

"I've got a few stories about when we first got into the Premier League a few years ago and we were chasing around.

"We thought we had the agent of a player, but he had nothing to do with the player, it was strange times. It's a very strange occupation."