Tim Dellor column: Reading sale 'not a done deal yet'

Reading begin their League One campaign on 10 August at Birmingham City

Reading fans continue to be frustrated by the slow pace of progress as Rob Couhig, the former owner of local rivals Wycombe, tries to buy the club.

He is leading a consortium of potential investors, under the banner of Chiron Sports Group.

Couhig is already exploring every possible way to save money at Reading FC.

He has a reputation for forensic accountancy, and will certainly not be making any rash business decisions.

One senior member of staff told me not to expect anything “seismic”, and the manager will be operating with a “low budget”.

That manager will be Ruben Selles, for now at least.

But while former Wycombe manager Gareth Ainsworth lurks unemployed, the pressure will be on Selles to produce results.

Couhig has been at the training ground and has met the manager and players, but any talk of sport and football is still premature.

First there is “lots of business still needing to be done”, according to another insider. This isn’t a done deal yet.

League officials need to be convinced Couhig and the consortium have the required funds to buy and then run the club.

He and the consortium also need to strengthen the two-year business plan required by the EFL to buy a club.

Then there is the small matter of a final meeting between owner Dai Yongge and Couhig to agree final terms.

I am told other interested parties have reached this advanced stage, but then tried to thrash down the price, leading to the collapse of potential deals.

By all accounts others are waiting in the wings to make bids if an opportunity arises, but that will be back to square one. Fans want to see a deal done ASAP.

Nobody at Reading FC will breathe easy until Yongge has agreed terms and signed on the dotted line.

The current front-runners in this lengthy takeover saga do not sound hugely ambitious or keen to spend big.

There is a strong argument that a more restrained approach is exactly what is now required, but Reading is a different scale and proposition to Wycombe Wanderers.

Fans and staff will be keen Couhig appreciates this, if he does get a deal over the line.