Reading midfielder John Swift has been instrumental in the Royals' success recently, recording 12 goalscoring contributions and helping to guide his side to a solid 10th-place in the Championship table after a woeful start to the 2021/22 campaign for Veljko Paunovic's men.

Losing four of their opening five league fixtures, they were looking over their shoulder at the relegation zone and were heavily suffering from a lack of fresh faces in their side with the EFL-imposed transfer embargo they were placed under earlier in the summer.

One existing player who has felt like a new signing for the Berkshire outfit though is John Swift, whose 2020/21 campaign was heavily impacted by injuries as he made just 14 league appearances.

With his ability to stay fit this term and a lack of squad depth in the Royals' ranks, he is three displays away from matching last season's total and has impressed consistently since the beginning of August.

This has inevitably attracted interest from the Premier League - and Football League World understands Burnley, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Crystal Palace and Norwich City are all interested in pursuing his signature with his contract running out at the Select Car Leasing Stadium next summer.

For a Reading side that have relied on the 26-year-old to come up with the goods on many occasions this term, to lose him on a free would be a huge blow with a January transfer potentially on the cards, although a top-flight move looks inevitable regardless of when he leaves if he can maintain his current form.

He was one player identified on yesterday's FLW Debate Show as someone who could potentially make the move to the top flight in the winter window.

Marcus Ally, our FLW writer who picked the Royals' key man as one of his three candidates to take the step up, believes his experience at Chelsea and Reading will serve him well if a move goes ahead.

He said: "John Swift's 26 now. He would be ready personally, in my opinion, to walk straight into a Premier League side.

"He's not a player you would need to bed in much, I don't think he's a player that needs to get used to the feel of a big club.

"He's been at Chelsea before. Reading is a big club in the Championship as well so I don't think there would be too much of an adaptation period.

"He's got seven goals and five assists already in the Championship this season, which for a goalscoring midfielder is incredible numbers.

"He's also capable as playing as either a number eight or a number ten, could play in a midfielder three, in a midfield two or just off of the striker, gives the tactical flexibility that managers would like in this day and age. He's got great dead-ball ability.

"What is there not to like about John Swift?

"I'm sure he's got plenty of Premier League admirers."

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