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The Manchester City legend passed a medical at the Madejski Stadium this morning and will be unveiled in front of Reading supporters prior to tonight's game with Southampton.
The Bermudan is expected to feature for at least some part of the game and is sure to get a warm reception from Reading fans who have been religiously following the transfer saga as it has unrolled.
The transfer fee is believed to be in the region of £600,000, a substansial fee for a player with so few years left in his career.
Commenting on the transfer a Reading FC spokesman fired out a warning shot to the rest of Division One with a chilling message.
"A signing of a player of this calibre signals our intentions."
It had been reported that Wigan Athletic and Sunderland were planning a dramatic transfer hijack but neither move materialized as the initially cautious Goater seemed hell-bent on becoming a Reading player.
Pardew, who has cited automatic promotion as this season's target, will hope his 'Goat' can bag him at least twenty goals this season. The Bermudan international has been placed at 10-1 to emerge as the Division's top scorer.
Goater's signature ends Alan Pardew's summer-long search for a new centre-forward. The Royals had previously failed in a bid for David Connolly. The Irishman today signed for West Ham in a £285,000 deal.
Shaun will forever enjoy cult status in the blue half of Manchester for his derby heroics of last season. Goater netted three times against Manchester United as City stole four points off their more illustrious local rivals.
With Scott Murray also already on board Pardew is expected now to look to bring in another defender. Whilst Reading MAD have been led to believe bids have been made for certain centre-backs, Marc Edworthy, a trialist, could be signed by Pardew to further strengthen the back line.