A deal has reportedly been agreed for the £25million sale of Reading to save the club from administration and potential expulsion from the EFL.

Rob Couhig has apparently revived his offer to absentee owner Dai Yongge after a rival bid from Robert Platek, who had an exclusivity agreement, fell through.

Yongge has until April 22 to sell the club or the Royals risk being suspended from the EFL.

However, that deadline can be extended if the EFL Board feel a deal is close to being reached. It was originally April 5 before an extension.

It emerged in a court hearing in March that Yongge had been disqualified under the EFL's owners' and directors' test, something which the EFL later confirmed in a statement, due to debts in China. 

The Sun reports that Couhig, formerly Wycombe's owner, has agreed to pay more of the £25m up front than he did last summer in order to get a deal done. 

He is also said to be willing to conduct faster due diligence (identifying the risks involved) and to have a shorter cooling-off period than usual. 

It feels a step in the right direction for Reading fas, although Yongge has had exclusivity deals with five different buyers to no avail - including Couhig.

It is almost 600 days since the club was initially put up for sale. 

Couhig has a court case in June where he will accuse the club of breaching exclusivity rules while in negotiations with him, attempting to recoup £12m for 'loss of potential profits' from owning the club. 

He told Greatest Hits Radio: 'He (Yongge) is in default now of our loan agreements and financing agreements. 

'People misunderstand and say, "well he paid you back the money." That is true but that was only part of it, it was all hinged on the sale. 

'More importantly, it was hinged on not breaching exclusivity. If he is in default on those loans, we have physical custody on the shares of stock. We become the beneficial owners.'

Yongge completed his takeover of Reading alongside his sister Dai Xiu Lui in 2017, but the club have endured a torrid eight years with him at the helm.

They have dropped into League One amid their financial struggles, leading to multiple fan protests.

Reading's League One match with Port Vale was abandoned after just 16 minutes in January 2024 following a mass pitch invasion by angry supporters.

The fans refused to get off the pitch despite the club's pleas, leading to the game being called off.

Despite the turmoil, including regular fan protests against Yongge, Reading are in great form and sit sixth in League One.