There may not be any more football for Oxford United at the moment but there is still plenty going on off the field.
This week, one Oxford player has been released, U’s boss Karl Robinson has been linked with a job in Scotland and an out of contract midfielder is in talks with a Championship club over a summer move.
Oxford United Weekly Round-Up: Winger Leaves, Managerial Links and Midfielder ‘In Talks’ With Championship Club
Winger Departs
Oxford United winger Joel Cooper will leave the club by mutual consent in the summer, the club have confirmed.
The 26-year-old joined the U’s from Linfield in 2020 but spent the second half of the season back on loan with his former club.
This season, game time was once again difficult to come by and he joined Port Vale on loan in League Two but managed just six appearances.
Speaking to the club’s official website, U’s boss Karl Robinson said: “Joel has great ability but hasn’t been able to settle here.
“We talked it through and there are things back home he needs to deal with so we agreed he can leave and he does so with our thanks and very best wishes for the future.”
Cooper added: “I want to thank the Gaffer and the staff at Oxford and the fans for their support and hopefully understanding.
“I was very proud to play for the club and it’s a shame it wasn’t more times, but I hopefully leave on good terms and wish the club all the best for next season.”
The winger managed just 11 appearances for the club during his two-year stay. Six of those came in League One but he only managed a total of 90 minutes of league football from those outings.
His first goals came in the Football League Trophy against Tottenham Hotspur U23s when he netted twice in a 3-2 win but ultimately, he hasn’t got enough game time.
Oxford United Manager Targeted by Hibernian
U’s boss Karl Robinson has been linked with the vacant manager job at Scottish Premiership side Hibernian, according to the Daily Record.
Hibs will begin interviews for the role in the coming days, with staff speaking to targets for a couple of weeks, and the club have identified Robinson as a firm favourite for the role.
The 41-year-old has been with the U’s since March 2019 and had guided the club to two playoff finishes. Although they missed out this season, Oxford still surpassed last season’s points tally.
Ross County boss Malky Mackay and former U’s manager Michael Appleton are also of interest to the Scottish club.
Bristol City ‘In Talks’ With U’s Midfielder
Bristol City are “in talks” with Oxford United midfielder Mark Sykes, according to Bristol World.
It was reported recently that Robins boss Nigel Pearson was in attendance as the U’s won 1-0 against MK Dons and it was believed that he was casting an eye over the former Northern Ireland U21 international.
Out of contract in the summer, it seems highly likely that Sykes will depart Grenoble Road with several Championship clubs monitoring the situation.
The versatile midfielder, who was left out of Oxford’s final game of the season against Doncaster, could become the Robins’ first summer signing.
According to Bristol World, Pearson met with Sykes and his representatives this week, with conversations taking place at the Robins High Performance Centre.
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