Reading FC facing fresh takeover concerns amid Rob Couhig, Dai Yongge update | OneFootball

Couhig has turned down a proposed offer from Yongge to end the legal battle between all parties

Reading FC are facing renewed concerns ahead of their April 4 deadline to complete a sale of the club, after Rob Couhig reportedly blocked an offer from current owner Dai Yongge to try and find a solution to the legal issues between the two.

The EFL recently disqualified much-maligned Chinese businessman Yongge from being in control of the Royals - or any EFL club for that matter - having failed the Owners' and Directors Test, and handed down a deadline for him to sell to Robert Platek, which is fast approaching this coming Friday.

At the same time though, Yongge was trying to get Couhig's legal challenge against him thrown out, but he was unsuccessful in his mission - and now there has been a further update.

Rob Couhig turns down Reading FC owner Dai Yongge's 'offer'

Former Wycombe Wanderers chairman Couhig attempted to purchase Reading in 2024, but a deal fell through in September - and he is seeking financial compensation for the loss of earnings over the collapse of the takeover attempt.

Couhig alledgedly lent the club £5 million as part of running costs, with it looking like he was going to seal a deal at some point in the near future, but despite Yongge and the club believing they had paid all the money back, the American is searching for £800,000 in costs and a further £9.5 million from Yongge from lost possible profits.

In an attempt to stop the legal action from continuing, which the current Reading owner claims is impacting the potential sale of the club to Platek, Yongge has reportedly, as per The Guardian, sent an offer to Couhig, which would see him place some of the proceeds of the proposed sale to Platek in a frozen escrow account, pending the result of the upcoming July court hearing.

However, Couhig, who has security over the Select Car Leasing Stadium and Bearwood training facility through mortgages, has turned this down, having not seen or been offered a legally-binding deal by Yongge.

“I told my lawyers to respond with: ‘Come back when it’s real,’” Couhig told The Guardian.

“I have very little faith in them frankly. I had 25 documents signed. I spent over $1m on legal and transaction fees. I came to England for a week and the money was in my account, ready to go.

“There’s nothing to talk about until they come to me with a binding agreement. I want to see a legally binding document that’s signed by both seller and buyer. That’s when we’ll have an agreement.”

Reading FC's future surely comes further into question now Dai Yongge proposal has been turned down

With Couhig not ruling out the possibility of still becoming Reading owner, his turning down of Yongge's offer only complicates matters ahead of Friday night's deadline.

Theoretically, the EFL could stop Reading from fulfilling their fixtures thanks to Yongge's business mishaps, and that would be a cruel shame to the players and fans, who have done nothing wrong in this sorry ordeal.

You cannot blame Couhig for being skeptical and reserved over any offer made by Yongge though, given the way things have transpired, but his actions have not gone down well with some Royals supporters.

There are however fans who are of the belief that the 75-year-old American is doing the right thing legally, with there being clear trust issues with Yongge's actions.