Premier League side Leeds United are still keeping tabs on Reading midfielder John Swift ahead of the upcoming January transfer window, according to Football Insider.

The Whites are reported to have been interested in 26-year-old for some time, with Whites manager Marcelo Bielsa known to be a big fan of the Royals' star man.

This is with good reason, with the ex-Chelsea man scoring eight goals and recording nine assists in 21 appearances for the Berkshire outfit in the Championship this term and had been one of the first names on the teamsheet up until his recent hamstring injury.

 

 

He missed last weekend's clash with West Bromwich Albion due to this setback - but manager Veljko Paunovic was optimistic about a potential return for his key man with the Serbian believing he had a chance of making Saturday's clash against Luton Town.

With this and the fact their match against the Hatters has been called off due to an outbreak in the Berkshire outfit's home camp, giving Swift extra time to recover, it's not thought his injury will scupper any potential move next month.

This is good news for Leeds, although they aren't the only top-tier team reported to be interested in his signature with Football League World understanding Burnley, Crystal Palace, Norwich City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Aston Villa, Brentford and Newcastle United are all in the race to get a deal over the line.

His contract at the Select Car Leasing Stadium expires at the end of this campaign - and though interest in his services is already intense - Reading Chronicle believe he wants to remain in Berkshire until the conclusion of this season despite a potential January move in the offing.

The Verdict

For Swift, the fact he isn't reportedly pushing for a January move is probably the right thing to do considering how reluctant the Royals have been to sell some of their best assets in recent years, so trying to get a move now may prove to be futile.

Added to this, the fact he's only got a matter of months left on his contract means interested teams are unlikely to come in with a bid even worth thinking about, and as the second-tier side try to pull away from danger, they will need him at their disposal.

A move to Leeds is an interesting potential switch though - and one that would be much cheaper for the West Yorkshire outfit as opposed to looking at Huddersfield Town's Lewis O'Brien again.

The Terriers' midfielder may be a better signing for the future, but Swift is only 26 himself and will only get better if he makes the step up to the top flight.

It may be worth moving for him now to fend off interest from other clubs - especially with the former Chelsea man likely to demand big wages in the summer considering the number of options he's likely to have - but there will need to be patient whilst he becomes accustomed to life in the top tier.

He may have spent time with the Blues earlier on in his career, but the bulk of his match time has come at a lower level with the likes of Brentford and his current side, so time with Bielsa on the training ground before being thrown into the squad could be beneficial for him.