Reading boss Paul Ince has a huge task on his hands to pull a respectable squad together before the start of the 2022/23 campaign, with several first-teamers set to be released on the expiration of their deals.

Yesterday, the club confirmed Terell Thomas, Brandon Barker, Orjan Nyland, Felipe Araruna, Alen Halilovic and Marc McNulty will leave the club in the summer when their contracts come to an end, no real shock considering many were unable to make a real impact at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

Four loanees in Tom Dele-Bashiru, Danny Drinkwater, Baba Rahman and Tom Ince have also departed Berkshire - and it's unclear whether any of the quartet will return.

There may even be further departures with John Swift, Michael Morrison and Junior Hoilett not yet being offered contracts but will engage in dialogue with the club in the coming weeks regarding extensions - and other first-teamers are also out of contract.

Regardless of whether they sign on the dotted line or not though, there is quite a lot of work for Ince and Mark Bowen to do in the coming days, weeks and months.

And here are just seven of many steps that need to be taken to ensure they have a successful summer window.

New contracts have been offered out to Andy Yiadom, Tom Holmes, Andy Rinomhota and Josh Laurent - four players that could play a part in the Royals' long-term success.

As one of the more capable right-backs in the division, getting Yiadom tied down is a no-brainer and Holmes should also get a new deal, despite being part of a defence that had the joint-worst goal concession record in the division during the 2021/22 season.

There is definitely room for Holmes to improve further and he will only get better - and similar could be said of Laurent and Rinomhota who haven't quite hit their ceiling yet despite being integral players in Berkshire.

It would be great to see the duo regain the partnership they created in the early stages of the 2020/21 campaign - because they looked good as a pair.

It may seem harsh considering Morrison performed admirably during his first two seasons in Berkshire - but he hasn't looked the same since sustaining a knee injury during the early stages of this term.

Even when he returned from this setback, he wasn't able to improve the Royals' defensive record and at this stage, it would be wise to either release him or provide him with a coaching role.

Considering the Berkshire outfit's defensive record, a shake-up is needed in this department and with Scott Dann able to be the experienced head in the backline, it almost seems pointless to keep Morrison in a playing capacity.

An alternative should be found to the 34-year-old, ideally a longer-term option who can form a solid partnership with Holmes for years to come. However, Holmes and Dann together may not be a bad pairing either.

Although the club wants to remain in contact with Swift regarding a new deal, something you can't blame them for considering he recorded 11 goals and 13 assists in the league during 2021/22, they should be preparing a shortlist of players who can come in and replace him.

It may be difficult to replace him whilst working within a limited budget - but there are plenty of gems in the free agent market that they could take a look at and the loan market will also be at their disposal.

Whoever comes in to take that advanced midfield role will have a big task in filling the void Swift will leave - and it almost seems inevitable that he will leave considering previous interest from Premier League clubs.

Ovie Ejaria could potentially replace the 26-year-old - but they need more options in this position regardless with Alen Halilovic leaving on the expiration of his current deal and Josh Laurent often playing in a deeper role.

Many supporters would argue that Luke Southwood, Jokull Andresson and Coniah Boyce-Clarke should all be given the chance to impress in pre-season - but you just feel an experienced shot-stopper will be needed to provide an older head in the goalkeeping department.

Southwood may be 24 and a Northern Ireland international - but last season was the first time he had a real chance to impress in the second tier and although he excelled at first - he struggled at times as well.

Having a more experienced head could either help Southwood to become a first-choice option for the long term or that new signing may even become the number one like Nyland did when the Norwegian did back in March.

The 31-year-old may have made two howlers during his short time at the club - but an experienced shot-stopper will be needed to replace him.

Liam Moore and George Puscas are likely to be two of the club's higher earners and with the duo failing to perform up to expectations at the Select Car Leasing Stadium in recent years, the Royals should look to cash in on both players.

Even if they receive a nominal fee for Moore, they should let him go with the defender seemingly burning his bridges with the club and his departure may make room for two or three new additions to arrive, new players that could make a real difference for Ince's side.

Puscas, on the other hand, probably hasn't burned bridges yet but it's clear the Romanian international thrives when playing with a partner up top, so it makes no sense to keep him if Ince only plays one up top.

Even if he does play two up front, Puscas just hasn't done enough to justify his price tag and is probably on a hefty salary too considering he's the club's record signing, so selling him has to be a priority and current loan side Pisa may end up being the club that takes him on a longer-term basis.

Offloading both may be a difficult task though.

With Puscas potentially leaving in the summer and Swift likely to depart on the expiration of his deal, there is a desperate need to add more attacking options with the forward department looking particularly bare.

Aside from Puscas, Lucas Joao is the only senior player in this department with Yakou Meite arguably being more effective on the wing, so adding at least two forwards has to be a real priority in the next few months.

Swift recorded 24 goal contributions during 2021/22 - and it may take two or three players to replace the attacking firepower the second-tier side will lose when he departs Berkshire.

Considering how poor the Royals' defence has been over the past nine months or so, failing to have enough options in this area may prove to be costly in their quest to remain afloat in the division.

Meite isn't guaranteed to be back at his best following his ACL injury as well, something else that needs to be considered. He struggled when he returned in the latter stages of last term.

Quite simply, there needs to be a decent amount of depth in Ince's squad to cover for injuries because the Royals spent much of 2021/22 struggling because they didn't have a high number of options available in some positions.

In fairness to the Berkshire side, they will be working within tight restrictions again this summer and this is why some of their young players, including Kelvin Abrefa and Rashawn Scott, will need to step up to the plate slightly earlier than planned.

If they can though, they need a new goalkeeper, two left-backs, a centre-back or two, quite a few central midfielders if both Laurent and Rinomhota leave, a replacement for Swift, some orthodox wingers and two forwards.

That is a massive ask within their restrictions so academy players need to make the step up where required - but they also need experience and this is why this summer will be a big challenge for Ince, Bowen and others behind the scenes.