Reading midfielder John Swift wants to remain at the Select Car Leasing Stadium until the summer before moving on to another club, according to the Daily Mirror's David Anderson who spoke to Give Me Sport.

The 26-year-old has been an instrumental figure for the Royals this term, recording eight goals and nine assists in 25 league appearances this term and standing out as the second-tier side's most influential player.

With this, the ex-Chelsea man has been the subject of widespread Premier League interest in recent months, with Burnley, Crystal Palace, Norwich City and Wolverhampton Wanderers all previously said to be monitoring his situation in Berkshire.

However, it's Leeds United that seem to be most interested in pursuing his signature at this stage with Football Insider reporting that the Whites were lining up a move for him, with Swift rejecting fresh terms at the club.

His contract at the Championship outfit runs out in the summer, leaving the Royals with a tricky dilemma in terms of whether to sell him or not with Veljko Paunovic's side arguably needing him in their quest to steer themselves away from the relegation zone.

But they may not have much choice if the Mirror journalist Anderson is to be believed, who confirmed the midfielder's stance on a potential move this month.

He said to Give Me Sport: "The only thing I have been told about him is that he would prefer to leave it until the summer and then obviously take his pick of clubs.

"Obviously, if you leave on a Bosman, it means you get a bigger salary compared to if you were to move now.

"What I'm being told is he's prepared to see the season out with Reading and then, whether they get relegated or not, move in the summer."

The Verdict:

Considering the Royals will be operating within strict transfer limits next season after agreeing a business plan with the EFL back in November, they probably won't be able to invest much of the money made from Swift's potential sale.

And with the Berkshire outfit still limited in what they can do in terms of incomings, with squad depth already questionable in some areas, it would probably make sense for the second-tier side to retain his at this stage.

In the fight against relegation, escaping the drop zone has to be the priority at this stage for their financial wellbeing, making a Swift sale at this stage counterproductive considering how much of an important asset he is.

His recent performances can be questioned - but on his day - he can make a real difference and you certainly wouldn't bet against him getting on the scoresheet against Huddersfield Town this afternoon.

Whether he can regain his consistency before the end of the campaign remains to be seen though.