Reading FC could be set for an interesting summer ahead, with Veljko Paunovic's side potentially planning for life back in the Premier League. 

The Royals are currently sat seventh in the Championship table, and find themselves two points adrift of the play-offs heading into their final five matches of this year's campaign.

The Berkshire-based side have struggled for a positive run of results at times in the second-half of the 2020/21 season, and will be eager to put together a positive run of results at the earliest of opportunities.

A number of players could be set to depart the Madejski Stadium in the summer, although Paunovic will be hoping to keep hold of his key players for the foreseeable future.

We take a look at EIGHT players that Reading could sell or release ahead of a busy summer transfer window.

Find out which player is first on the list, on the next page....

Sam Baldock is first on the list, with the former Brighton and Hove Albion forward being out-of-contract with Reading at the end of the 2020/21 season.

Baldock signed for the club back in 2018, and has gone on to make 72 appearances in all competitions for the Berkshire-based side.

But he has found regular game time hard to come by in the last few seasons, and is now behind George Puscas, Yakou Meite and Lucas Joao in the pecking order in Veljko Paunovic's plans at this moment in time.

It seems almost certain that Baldock will leave the club at the end of the season, with plenty of the Madejski Stadium faithful keen to see the back of him.

Sone Aluko is another player that hasn't flourished in his time with Reading at the Madejski Stadium.

The winger signed from Fulham for a sizeable transfer fee, and has hardly made an impact with the Royals, in what has been a frustrating move for all parties involved.

Aluko has made 33 appearances in all competitions this term, and has often been an unused substitute for Veljko Paunovic's side this season.

He's another player that the majority of Reading fans will be pleased to see leave the club, with his wages being off the books in the near future, which will be a real positive for the club.

Luke Southwood is next up, with the young Reading goalkeeper being out-of-contract at the end of this year's campaign.

The shot-stopper has only made three senior appearances for the Royals in total, and has rarely been given an opportunity to impress in the first-team.

Southwood has previously been out on loan with the likes of Bath City and Eastleigh earlier in his career, and you couldn't blame Southwood for wanting to pursue a move elsewhere in the future.

He's still only 23, and will surely be wanting to find regular game time in senior football at the earliest of opportunities.

Some of the Madejski Stadium faithful could be forgiven for forgetting that Watson was still contracted with Reading at this moment in time.

The full-back has only made nine senior appearances for Reading, and is now 24, which surely means that his days at the Madejski Stadium are numbered.

Watson has often been playing his football for the club's Under-23s, and is out-of-contract at the end of this year's campaign, and it seems likely that he'll be heading for the exit door.

He has had experience in senior football whilst out on loan with the likes of AFC Wimbledon and Coventry City earlier in his career.

Michael Olise is next up, and he'll be one player that Reading will be looking to keep at the club for as long as possible, although they could be fighting a losing battle if they don't win promotion into the Premier League this season.

The midfielder has been in impressive form this season, having scored six goals and been on hand to provide ten assists from his 41 appearances this term.

Olise's strong run of form hasn't gone unnoticed though, with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Leeds United being just some of the teams interested in signing him in the summer, with his contract set to expire in the summer of 2022.

Reading's main aim will be to keep Olise at the club in the summer transfer window, although it looks as though he's destined to play in the Premier League.

Marc McNulty is another player that plenty of Reading fans will be eager to see the back of heading into the summer transfer window.

The Scotsman has been out on loan with Dundee United this season, and is set to return to the Madejski Stadium ahead of the 2021/22 season.

It seems likely that McNulty will struggle to get into the first-team squad anytime soon though, with the likes of George Puscas and Lucas Joao being ahead of him in the pecking order.

McNulty still has a year to run on his contract, but it wouldn't come as a surprise to see him leave the club on a permanent basis in the summer.

Sam Smith has found game time with Reading's first-team hard to come by in his time with the Berkshire-based side.

The forward has been out on loan in recent seasons with the likes of Oxford United and Tranmere Rovers, and is currently playing his football out on loan with League Two promotion-chasers Cheltenham Town.

He has impressed at times out on loan in the fourth-tier, but it would come as a real surprise to see him return to the club in the summer, especially when he's going to be considerably far down the pecking order at the Madejski Stadium.

At the age of 23, now might be the ideal time for Smith to leave Reading on a permanent basis.

Sam Walker is the last name on the list, with the goalkeeper being out-of-contract at the end of the 2020/21 season.

The shot-stopper has often been Reading's second-choice goalkeeper over the years, but has been sent out on loan in recent months in search of regular game time elsewhere.

He had previously been on the books with Chelsea, but spent the majority of his time at Stamford Bridge out on loan.

With Luke Southwood also out-of-contract in the summer, it seems as though one of him or Walker will leave the club at the end of this year's campaign.