Encouraging Reading FC takeover development shared as April 4 deadline edges closer | OneFootball

Reading are hopeful that Robert Platek will complete his takeover of the club, with the EFL having ordered Dai Yongge to sell.

Reading FC are still hopeful that US businessman Robert Platek will complete his purchase of the club by April 4, although the EFL may grant an extension if talks are progressing.

That date has become a huge one in the history of the Royals, as the EFL recently disqualified Dai Yongge from running a football club, ordering that he must sell Reading by April 4.

Failure to do so opens up the possibility of Reading being thrown out of the Football League as a worst-case scenario.

Reading FC takeover latest emerges as April 4 deadline looms.

Therefore, there is a desperate need to get a takeover sorted, with American businessman Platek in ‘advanced negotiations’ to buy the League One outfit, who confirmed they had entered a period of exclusivity with a potential buyer last month.

And, in a fresh update on that, Telegraph reporter John Percy revealed there is ‘hope’ that it will be finalised.

Crucially, he added that the EFL could extend the deadline for Yongge to complete a sale beyond April 4 if the club can show they are making progress with Platek.

It has been stated previously that the EFL will have to assess whether Platek has a conflict of interests due to his involvement with MSD Holdings, who have been a ‘major lender’ to other English clubs.

This is a positive update in the sense that it’s not a strict deadline that Reading now have to meet, as the EFL won’t want to be in a position where they kick the club out.

Of course, there’s still work to be done before they get to that stage, and no supporters will get carried away, as they have seen plenty of buyers get to this stage without the deal going through.

Ultimately, it’s now a case of waiting and seeing how things play out, and you would expect further developments in the coming days and weeks.

With the club having been up for sale for the best part of 18 months, this has been hanging over the players and management for some time, but, to their credit, they haven’t allowed it to become a distraction.

So, all Noel Hunt and the squad can do is focus on winning games, as a top six finish is still a possibility, which is quite remarkable given the issues they have faced.