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According to The Sun, Reading are making a huge bid of £9 million for Brentford forward Scott Hogan. The rumour comes from Alan Nixon, who says we've offered "hard cash".
The 24 year-old has scored 13 goals for the Bees already this season, putting him in third spot in the Championship scoring charts behind Dwight Gayle (17) and Glenn Murray (14). He previously played for Rochdale, where he netted 17 times in 31 appearances.
What's more, Get Reading reporter Charles Watts thinks the move could very much be on the cards...
All I'll say on Hogan, is don't rule anything out - interest is there. Whether the money is, I guess we'll find out. #readingfc
— Charles Watts (@charles_watts) December 21, 2016
So... the takeover must be almost then?
Most likely, yes. Logically, Reading would only be able to afford an outlay of £9 million on one player if the Chinese business duo, Dai Yongge and Dai Xiu Li, are stumping up the cash. They reportedly met with the Football League recently, so could be set to finalise the deal.
Even if the takeover isn't 100% ratified, the incoming majority stake holders could give Jaap Stam transfer funds to play with in January. After all, what's a £9 million investment if it brings Premier League football a few months down the line?
Investing this amount of money would be a massive statement of intent to Reading's management and fanbase. If Dai Yongge and Dai Xiu Li are willing to bankroll the club on this scale, the 'Reading Way' could quickly become a thing of the past.