Barnsley and Reading FC potentially on a collision course amid threat of legal action

Barnsley chief executive Khaled El-Ahmad has written to the EFL to ask for more clarity concerning Championship rivals Reading’s compliance with their profitability and sustainability rules, as per a report from The Athletic.

The Royals were sanctioned with a six-point deduction back in November for breaching these rules amid major losses – and it’s a punishment that has the potential to relegate the second-tier side with Paul Ince’s men still in a relegation scrap at this stage following consecutive recent losses against Blackpool and Millwall.

They currently sit six points above fellow their relegation battlers in the Tykes, who suffered a major blow at the weekend in losing 2-0 to Derby County, with the Rams climbing above Poya Asbaghi’s men once more as the survival race took another twist.

Despite their defeat at Pride Park, their recent resurgence, with the South Yorkshire outfit winning three of their previous four league fixtures prior to Saturday’s clash in the East Midlands, has given them a real chance of remaining afloat in the second tier.

This could mean a further six-point deduction for the Royals, one that will come into effect next term if they can’t remain within the business plan agreed with the EFL in November, may make all the difference for the Tykes who will be desperate to remain in the second tier.

With this, El-Ahmed has hinted legal action could be on the way if his side are relegated and the Berkshire outfit manage to stay afloat in the division.

According to The Athletic, he wrote: “We believe Reading are at a sporting advantage in the 2021-22 season, by continuing to operate a business model that is incompatible with P&S.

“Barnsley are at a competitive disadvantage now. We therefore find it