Gymshark CEO Ben Francis denies claims he’s going to buy Reading

Gymshark CEO Ben Francis has moved to deny claims he's on the verge of becoming sole owner of Reading.

Reading have fallen from the brink of the Premier League to League One in the space of seven years and have fallen into financial turmoil under current owner Dai Yongge.

The club have been docked 16 points in the last two years and have been hit with two deductions this season alone.

Fans of the Royals are desperate to see the Chinese millionaire relinquish any control of the club and have taken to extreme measures to voice their outrage at him.

Their league clash against Port Vale earlier this month was abandoned after fans stormed the pitch at the Madjeski Stadium in protest against Yongge.

Meanwhile, their FA Cup defeat at non league Eastleigh in December was temporarily suspended after fans threw tennis balls, fake money, and a flare onto the pitch.

The future of the club remains up in the air, however, it emerged on Sunday evening that Francis could be a contender to take over the club.

It was reported that he was on the verge of becoming the sole owner. However, he's denied this story, insisting his loyalty to his beloved Aston Villa and duties to running fitness apparel and accessories manufacturer Gymshark stand in his way.

«I’m sorry but this isn’t true,» Francis said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

«I’m a Villa fan through and through and wouldn’t have an involvement with any other club. Plus I’m far too busy at Gymshark! All the best I hope you can get everything sorted.»

Reading fans have received a lot of sympathy from fans across the country, however, chief executive Dayong Pang says the process to begin the sale of the club is underway.

Pang also condemned the actions of the protesting fans who ran onto the