Leyton Orient's search for a left winger is on hold while they wait to see if Reading sell Nicky Shorey.

Orient arranged a 15% sell-on clause when they sold the England defender to the Royals for �25,000 in 2001.

And O's manager Martin Ling told BBC London: "If he goes for �3m then it means �450,000 for the club.

"I haven't held a gun to the chairman's head and asked for an exact figure. All I know is I can get a better quality player with Shorey going."

Ling already has his plans set out should he receive the money.

"I would spend some of that now to top it up with a wide left player, keep some for January then some of it would go back into the deficit of the club that we lose every year," he said.

"I've got four that are non-Shorey and four if Shorey goes so there's four names in each hat.

"I would rather wait for the four that are in the hat that contains the money of Shorey because they are four better players than the other four.

"I still think the 31st August is the deadline. I don't think it's paramount that player is in for the first game of the season.

"I want to make sure that if the Shorey money is available that I use it. It's a bit of a waiting game."