Fulham are preparing a £12m move for Reading midfielder John Swift, according to a report in the Reading Chronicle.

The Whites could offer the talented playmaker a move back to west London, with Swift having been a leading member of the Chelsea academy before signing for the Royals in July 2016. Swift, who also had a spell on loan with Brentford, enjoyed an excellent first season at the Madjeski Stadium as Reading narrowly missed on promotion to the Premier League after losing the play-off final to Huddersfield, having beaten Fulham in the semi-finals. He scored nine goals in 42 appearances for the Royals and was nominated as one of the contenders for the EFL’s Young Player of the Year Award.

Swift, who has scored eleven times in 68 appearances for Reading, signed a five-year contract at the Madjeski Stadium last summer and it would take a substantial bid to convince the club to part with their most creative midfielder. He has a significant pedigree in youth football, having helped England under-21 side win the prestigious Toulon Tournament back in 2016. Swift may fit Slavisa Jokanovic’s mould of a progressive ball-player midfielder and the Whites are known to be seeking understudies for the likes of Tom Cairney and Stefan Johansen ahead of their return to the top flight, but Fulham would certainly face stiff competition for Swift’s signature should they chose to pursue this move.