Madejski: Takeover will be completed this week

Reading chairman Sir John Madejski has said that the takeover of the club will be completed at some point this week.

Thames Sports Investments, led by Russian billionaire Anton Zingarevich are on the verge of buying the Premier League club for £25 million from Madejski. The deal was set to be completed at the end of March but a delay has occurred due to the Football League and now the Premier League wanting to look into the potential takeover, especially because of recent problems the likes of Portsmouth and Rangers have suffered.

Speaking to BBC Radio Berkshire, Madejski said: ‘So all that bodes well for Reading football club, let’s dot the i’s and cross the t’s, let’s make sure, perfectly sure that what’s going forward is going forward and so therefore everybody’s happy. I’m sure it’s going to happen but I think it is right and proper that the league have got to be very circumspect.’

‘We want to make sure that the deal is completely watertight for the sake of the club going forward. But that should all pan out. All these questions will be answered substantially and at the end of the day the Premier League are not going to allow people into the league unless they are fit for purpose and indeed that they’ve got the money to do what they say they are going to do.’

No Reading fans can question Anton Zingarevich’s commitment to the club, after providing Brian McDermott with appropriate funding in January to help the club’s rise to the Premier League. The 29-year old tycoon has attended many home games this season and his father, Boris, attended yesterday’s game against Crystal Palace.