Yet more detail has emerged in the ongoing legal dispute between Rob Couhig and Dai Yongge over the protracted takeover attempts of Reading Football Club.

American Mr Couhig, who came close to acquiring the Royals last summer, hit owner Mr Yongge with a claim worth over £12.3m before Christmas for alleged breaches of exclusivity and loss of potential earnings.

However, through two holding companies Prestige Fortune Asia Limited and RFC Bearwood Holdings, Mr Yongge has previously accused Redwood Holdings, the vehicle set up to purchase the football club, of 'unlawful' behaviour in refusing to release the security on shares of Bearwood and the club, which had been offered in exchange of loans last season.

READ MORE: Reading FC owner accuses Rob Couhig of 'unlawful' action

Although Mr Couhig has been paid back in full, and Companies House documents the release of the aforementioned security, Mr Couhig and his representatives have claimed that this these were 'incorrectly' satisfied and 'none of the said securities has been released by Redwood.'

In documents seen by the Reading Chronicle, Redwood Holdings "seeks: a. a declaration that Redwood’s claim against Renhe and Redwood’s counterclaim against Prestige and Bearwood are Secured Liabilities under the First, Second, Third and Fourth Bearwood Mortgages, the First and Second Bearwood Debentures and the First and Second Prestige Mortgages; and that the charges securing the said Secured Liabilities have not been satisfied;

"b. an order that Bearwood write or otherwise communicate with Companies House to correct the forms MR04(ef) submitted by Bearwood to Companies House on 13 January 2025 (Statement of satisfaction in full or in part of charge), which said forms incorrectly state that charges granted by Bearwood to Redwood have been satisfied (when the charges have not been satisfied)."

Another sticking point in the court case has been Mr Couhig's belief that the club breached their exclusivity agreement by offering an 'Investment Opportunity' document- something Mr Yongge's representatives refute.

Mr Couhig goes on to refer to an email received from club Chief Executive Officer, Dayong Pang, which states the club were 'very close to finalising a transaction' in October 2024, less than two months on from the end of discussions with Mr Couhig.

Reportedly added in this email chain is a Mr Nowtash Alsafar of Blue Horizon, a party who were reportedly in discussions over a possible takeover in 2024.

Mr Couhig's argument is upon the basis that "it was not possible (given the complexity of the matters that require to be dealt with in the purchase of a football club) that an agreement to take over Reading FC could have been brought close to completion in the period of just over two months between the end of the last extension of the Exclusivity Period (15 August 2024) and Dayong Pang’s email of 25 October 2024."

The case continues to rumble on while supporters fear for the future of the club as the latest exclusivity agreement with an unnamed party expired in January.

Mr Couhig has remained clear throughout the process that his preference would be to complete the purchase of the club but he has always been 'confident' in his position.