Rob Couhig reacts to Reading FC takeover twist as Dai Yongge message is sent | OneFootball

Yongge not only lost a court case to Couhig this past week, but he has been given two weeks to sell the Royals

Rob Couhig has sent a plea to Reading owner Dai Yongge after winning out in a court battle against the Chinese businessman last week.

Former Wycombe Wanderers owner Couhig tried to buy the Royals in 2024, but in September a deal fell through after negotiations to finalise it broke apart.

At the time, American businessman Couhig had provided Reading with financial loans, with the expectation that he would be running the club sooner rather than later, but it did not transpire that way, and 75-year-old took Yongge to court over money he claims he is owed for a loss of earnings over the failed takeover, plus a breach in their exclusivity agreement.

Rob Couhig sends message to Reading FC & Dai Yongge after court victory

The Reading hierarchy have been claiming that Couhig's legal action has been preventing the sale of the club, with a statement on February 24 confirming that a letter of intent had been signed with another party in regards to a takeover.

On Friday though, a court ruled that Couhig's legal action towards Yongge was not in the way of the club being sold to another party, with the American's claims being upheld - that will now go to a further court hearing in June where the ex-Wycombe chief will try to win the £12 million he believes he is owed.

With the EFL also disqualifying Yongge as an owner and ordering him to sell the club by April 4, Friday was not a good day for the man who is still the owner of the League One club, but Couhig has sent a message to him, with the hope that his advisors will work with him to pay him what he believes he is owed.

"The Court made a rational decision," Couhig told the Reading Chronicle.

"I appreciate the work my legal team put in and their outstanding presentations in written and oral argument.

"We will proceed as before but hope that the Club will propose an acceptable resolution. I have no comment on the EFL’s decision.”

It is now surely in the best interests of Yongge to push a takeover through as soon as possible - and definitely before the April 4 deadline imposed by the EFL.

It's safe to assume that the interested party is not Couhig himself, as he is now just pushing to get the money back that he believes he could have made if his takeover were to have landed.