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Reading staff are to only receive 'a portion' of their November salaries as the club 'have not yet received the necessary funding.'

The club have faced a monthly battle to meet pay demands as owner Dai Yongge continues to look to sell the club.

Improving on the field, with back-to-back victories, the club returned to the EFL embargo site after failing to meet payments to HMRC.

Due to be paid today, staff will only receive a small percentage of their owed salary.

In a letter sent to staff, seen by the Reading Chronicle, CEO Dayong Pang said: "I regret to inform you that we have not yet received the necessary funding to enable the full payment of wages in its entirety to all employees and casual workers for November 2023.

"As CEO, I have made the decision that all employees and casual workers will receive a portion of their wages today, and the remainder to be delayed.

"I am aiming to satisfy all the wages in full at the earliest possible opportunity."

Wages were not paid on time three times last season over the summer.

In a second email sent to staff, seen by the Reading Chronicle, Pang has promised that full wages will be received by Tuesday.

It also says that this was in order to 'avoid further EFL penalties.'

The club have to face an independent panel for failing to pay HMRC on multiple occasions.

Reading owner Dai Yongge has flown into England for crucial takeover talks, in a major development for the crisis hit League One club.

Yongge is assessing a number of offers to buy the club and is expected to make a decision on a preferred bidder early next week.

Former Newcastle owner Mike Ashley and Genevra Associates, an investment group based in Luxembourg, are understood to be two parties interested in acquiring the club, who are currently bottom of the third tier.

Yongge is under huge pressure to sell up and the next few days are regarded as vital for Reading’s short-term future.

Once Yongge has selected a preferred bidder, a period of exclusivity will be granted for the party to complete a deal. If that process runs smoothly, Reading could have new owners by the start of next year.

Genevra Associates are understood to have recently submitted a revised and final bid, and remain hopeful of agreeing a deal with Yongge.

William Storey, the British businessman, recently pulled out of talks despite initially claiming he had agreed a contract and exclusivity in October.

Yongge, who is based in China, is ready to sell up after a stormy tenure in which the club has been docked 16 points by the Football League for financial breaches.

A winding-up order by HMRC was dropped earlier this week after Yongge settled an overdue tax bill, but the club remains in severe financial difficulty.

Mark Bowen, the head of football operations, admitted in a statement on Thursday that a sale of the club could be close.

“Daily operations at the club continue to be hamstrung by cashflow problems, the search for new owners is encouraging but naturally time-consuming,” he said.

“We are in constant discussion, negotiation and engagement with an encouraging number of individuals who, we believe, are all capable of making viable takeover bids.

“It is very difficult to speculate on the timescales involved, but I am very positive that this process is now nearing a much-needed conclusion.”