Lai’s West Brom negligence ‘could derail takeover elsewhere in EFL’
West Brom supporters were glad to see the back of Guochuan Lai after his disastrous ownership stint.
The Chinese businessman left the Baggies in an abysmal financial situation that they are still in the process of fixing.
Shilen Patel’s impact since the takeover has been limited as a result of Profit and Sustainability regulations hampering Albion’s ability to spend.
Now, the chaos surrounding Lai’s time at The Hawthorns could be set to affect another EFL club who are in financial peril.
Lai still haunting the EFL despite West Brom exit
Reading are another club that has been in financial turmoil lately, but American businessman Robert Platek has seemed set to save the Royals.
However, the deal could be hampered by a loan that Lai took out when he was in charge in the West Midlands, according to The Guardian.
MSD Holdings loans money to clubs throughout the EFL, such as Sunderland and Burnley, and the former Baggies chairman took out a £30million high-interest loan from MSD Holdings in 2023 and Platek is co-head of the lending company.
The report states that the EFL could rule his links to Albion as a conflict of interest and scupper the Berkshire club’s takeover plans.
Proposed sale of Reading to Robert Platek faces conflict of interest concerns due to MSD loans to rival EFL clubs. Full story @guardian_sport https://t.co/YwKWWGFiQE
— Matt Hughes (@MattHughesMedia) February 25, 2025
West Brom can look forward to better times
Brighter times are on the horizon for Baggies supporters once the debts left behind by Lai are sorted out and Patel gets the Black County outfit on a level footing again.
Once that happens, the American businessman can invest in the club and look to secure a return to the Premier League if Tony Mowbray does not manage to take them up through the playoffs this season.
| Championship | Played | GD | Points |
| 5. Coventry | 35 | +5 | 53 |
| 6. West Brom | 35 | +13 | 52 |
| 7. Bristol City | 35 | +7 | 52 |
Despite their recent issues in the boardroom, Albion are one of the best sides in the Championship and currently occupy the final playoff place with 11 matches left to play before the season concludes.
A promotion berth may prove too much for them, with very strong teams in the mix alongside the West Midlands outfit.
Whatever happens in the final few weeks, one thing is for sure, the future is exciting under the new ownership rather than having Lai at the helm.