Reading FC's Prospective Chinese Owners Taking Steps To Avoid Repeat Of Premier League Shun

It seems impossible to stay on top of everything going on around Reading's Chinese takeover but some new/old (delete as applicable) details have come out regarding the health of the bid.

The Financial Times newspaper has reported of 'red flags' that prevented Dai Yongge and Dai Xiu Li from ultimately completing their doomed purchase of Hull, although the Football League are said to be assured by a fresh structure that separates their Reading deal from last summer's failure.

In fact, the Premier League never fully completed their original investigation before the siblings pulled out of the Hull bid altogether. And the top-flight may have to wait until the Royals' promotion to fully gauge the new deal, as FT report that this new structure has not been detailed to the EPL.

Repeated in the article is the claim that Reading may be denied entry to the division if the Premier League decides the new owners have not been fully transparent about their financial arrangements but in reality this threat still feels like a huge jump from the club's current situation.

Furthermore, the Chinese pair's Renhe Commercial Holdings has a record of financial difficulties and related-party transactions that last year led rating agency Standard & Poor’s to describe its corporate governance as “weak”.

For more information, you can read the FT article in full and keep up to date with all the takeover's goings on here at TTE.