Reading boss Paul Ince confirmed that it may not be the end of the road for Romania striker George Puscas.

The club's record transfer in 2019 spent the second half of last season on loan in Serie B with Pisa, and has been linked to a whole host of clubs on the continent over the summer.

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However, the former England captain refused to rule out the possibility of the 26-year-old not remaining with the club.

Speaking to the media ahead of the first home match of the season against Cardiff City he said: "It’s never out of the question when you’re down to the bare bones. It’s all hands to the pump. He’s done well, he’s trained well with the first team squad. Is he ready yet, probably not because he’s missed a few weeks more than the other lads. It’s important that the ones we have, have a good pre-season behind them, that’s why Yakou is so powerful. He’s in the squad and if he’s called upon, I’ll use him."

The Romania international has scored 20 goals in 91 appearances for the Royals.

Ince did confirm that he would like a new striker in the window, with free agents and loan deals the only option under the transfer embargo. 

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Believing that there may be more traction later in the window, he added: "A lot of players want to go to other clubs and it gets closer to the end of the window but then they can't get that club, then sometimes we become the last option.

"I don't think that's right, you either want to play for Reading or you don't. 

"In a way, it can benefit us because we are the last port of call and as much as we haven't got the situation where we have our squad formed, in a perverse way it could benefit us because we could pick right at the end the ones we want, if we can afford it."