I'm pondering a bid on the above deck.

All reads quite well except for:-

"The tape transport uses sophisticated logic controls, but the reverse run mechanism unfortunately uses crude mechanical slider switches to switch to the reverse direction head block. These switches were never designed to work perfectly for over 25 years, so it is strongly recommended to only use the deck in the Forward mode, unless you wish to tackle the internal switch-gear with switch cleaner or similar."

The words seem a bit harsh on poor old Akai but is it likely to be a straightforward fix or would I be heading for a nightmare?

There's nothing to suggest anything else untoward in the description but obviously usual rules apply regarding the aged electronics etc.