Football League World
·20 August 2024
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·20 August 2024
The Royals are seemingly close to a takeover - and we have the latest news on the situation.
League One side Reading need a takeover to happen quickly.
The Dai Yongge era needs to come to an end, with the Royals failing to make any signings this summer and at risk of struggling for much of the 2024/25 campaign if they sustain a few more injuries.
There are a number of positions that Ruben Selles needs to strengthen before the summer transfer window closes, with the left-back area requiring more depth, even with Andre Garcia performing fairly well there after replacing Jeriel Dorsett on Saturday.
The centre-back, central midfield, wing and striker areas could also benefit from more options, even with the Berkshire outfit picking up four points from six against Birmingham City and Wigan Athletic in recent weeks.
The Royals may have a decent first 11, but injuries and suspensions will come into play this season and this is why signings are much-needed.
If they can recruit some players in the coming weeks - and also tie down some of their current first-teamers to new contracts - that could allow them to finish at the right end of the third tier at the end of this campaign.
But a sale needs to happen before they can recruit some fresh faces, and below, we take some of the latest news on the club's takeover situation.
Rob Couhig is known to be a leading figure behind the takeover and he was pictured at the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Saturday, with US businessman Todd Trosclair also watching the game against Wigan alongside him.
Both Couhig and Trosclair are directors at Redwood Holdings 1 Ltd, which is the company that looks set to be used to purchase the Royals.
The pair have hinted on social media that they will be heavily involved in Berkshire, but it remains to be seen what role Alec Lundberg will have.
Lundberg, who is married to Couhig's goddaughter, is the third director at Redwood.
Leo Rifkind, meanwhile, has resigned from the company.
He was believed to be a key figure in Chiron Sports Group's attempt to buy the club, but whether they are still involved is currently unclear.
Bloomberg have reported that Couhig is nearing a £30m takeover of the third-tier side, which was promising news.
Even before that though, the Reading Chronicle revealed that a takeover was expected to happen during the early stages of this week, should everything go to plan.
And speaking to BBC Radio Berkshire's Tim Dellor on Saturday, Couhig pretty much echoed this, revealing that the sale should be announced either today or tomorrow.
With Couhig overcoming all the barriers on his side, he said that he was waiting on the "other side" to approve the deal.
It's unclear whether he meant the EFL or current owner Dai Yongge, but it looks as though a sale will be going through imminently, and this is much-needed for a side that requires signings and off-field stability as quickly as possible.