What Rob Couhig has said about Reading FC takeover as April 22nd deadline edges closer | OneFootball

Rob Couhig has emerged as the front-runner to take over Reading FC as the 22 April deadline looms

Reading FC are still in takeover limbo as they await the next steps following Dai Yongge’s disqualification from the EFL owners and directors’ test.

The initial 4 April deadline passed without any concrete developments on an agreed takeover of the League One side.

An extension to 22 April was granted by the EFL to help the club find a solution, with the team chasing promotion to the Championship.

It has been reported by The Sun that ex-Wycombe Wanderers owner Rob Couhig is now the front-runner to complete a takeover after a £25 million agreement.

Here we look at what Couhig has said about the situation as the 22 April deadline looms…

Rob Couhig’s suspension claim

Reading are facing the threat of suspension from the EFL if the ownership situation isn’t clarified soon.

However, Couhig has discussed this threat in recent weeks, suggesting that he’s confident that it won’t get that far before a solution is found.

The American believes there are too many complications involved, and that the Royals’ play-off battle won’t be impacted by these off-field issues.

“You’ve used the right analogy that it’s extra time,” said Couhig, via the GHR Berkshire & North Hampshire News on X.

“They’re trying to play with the ball, they think they’re winning and I think they may be.

“I think it’s going to be hard to say ‘oh, we’re going to suspend Reading and we’re going to not let them play out the season’.

“I think that’s in the background.

“If you do that it doesn’t just implicate Reading, it implicates every other club in the 24 club League One.

“And in some ways it adds a spillover effect down into League Two because who gets relegated, who doesn’t? So there’s a lot of things going on.

“I was never as nervous as the rest of the world was that they would do something.

“I do think this, whether it’s April 22nd or May 6th, which — well, we hope the season’s not complete then — but by the end of the play-offs, as long as Reading is alive I don’t think anything’s really going to happen.”

Rob Couhig’s verdict on Reading situation

Couhig opened up on the process behind the scenes at Reading, having been involved in an attempt to take over the club since last year.

The 75-year-old admitted he’s never seen something like this, with the businessman recently winning a high court case against the club after his initial bid to buy the Berkshire outfit mysteriously collapsed.

"I have never seen or been involved in anything like this ever," said Couhig, via the BBC.

"Everyone has been consistently misled in the kindest possible way to say it, by the club," Couhig said.

“I was never told why my deal never went forward, someone started bad-mouthing me, that happens, but most recently there has been a pressure exerted saying that somehow I am an impediment to a sale.

"The idea that the situation is close to closure but for Couhig is, as far as I can tell, the furthest thing from the truth.

"My reputation means a lot to me, people don't always love me but they always know they get the truth from me, that's what bothered me a little bit."