It seems as though exclusivity could be on the horizon for the Royals, although the supporters will still be cautious.
ReadingĀ are in “advanced exclusivity talks” with potential North American buyers, according to theĀ Reading Chronicle.
The exact name of the consortium is yet to be revealed, but they have seemingly moved quickly to try and strike a deal.
The Royals have been in a similar situation before, withĀ Genevra Associates believed to have been close to securing exclusivity back in November.
That deal ended up falling through though and plenty has happened since then, with a pitch invasion even taking place againstĀ Port ValeĀ back in January to try and put pressure on owner Dai Yongge.
Just 48 hours ago, the Berkshire side’s fanbase were in despair, withĀ reports emergingĀ thatĀ Wycombe WanderersĀ were closing in on a deal to purchase their training ground in Wokingham.
Those reportsĀ were confirmed in a club statement on ThursdayĀ – and this generated a huge amount of worry.
But it looks as though exclusivity could be on the horizon, which will give the Royals’ fans hope that a torrid seven-year chapter could come to an end in the coming weeks or months.
Further details as Reading FC close in on exclusivity
As mentioned above, a North American group are currently leading the race and are in advanced exclusivity talks at this point, withĀ the club and the Select Car Leasing Stadium included in this package, but not Bearwood training ground.
TheĀ Reading ChronicleĀ has also revealed that the group are keen on the sports industry, something that will come as a relief to supporters who want the future owners to be as enthusiastic about football as they are.
TheyĀ could have a deal agreed, in principle, within the next week. However, it remains to be seen whether they will get exclusivity in time for them to provide the funds needed to make up March’s shortfall.
The North American group aren’t the only potential investors in the race though, withĀ two others thought to be in the mix.
However, it seems as though they will need to move quickly if they are to take pole position.
Former CEO Nigel Howe, who has been placed in charge of securing the sale, isĀ thought to be brokering this deal.
Reading FC fans have been here before
Although this update is promising, it’s clear that exclusivity needs to be confirmed before the Royals’ supporters get too excited.
After the Genevra deal collapsed, fans know a deal isn’t done until it’s done and even if exclusivity is confirmed, a sale isn’t certain.
What is certain is the fact the owners Dai Yongge and Dai Xiu Li and the CEO Dayong Pang need to be removed from their positions as quickly as possible.
If a sale does that, that’s a positive for some fans who were fully expecting the club to enter administration.
But there’s a long way to go until a sale is completed and until that moment, the supporters can’t afford to take their eye off the ball.
Keeping the pressure on key figures at the SCL Stadium will be important, because that could help the Royals to secure a better future.
