The January transfer is well underway at Oxford United and we have all the moves and rumours from the last seven days.
Oxford United Weekly Round-Up: January Transfer Window Well Underway
U’s Target St Mirren Midfielder
The week began with Oxford United looking set to join the battle for St Mirren midfielder, Ethan Erhahon, according to Scott Burns for the Scottish Daily Express.
League One rivals Forest Green Rovers have already seen a bid accepted for the 21-year-old but the midfielder is weighing up his options, with the U’s considering an offer.
Oxford had previously shown interest in the then-20-year-old prior to the summer transfer window last year.
Everton Striker Linked With Oxford United Move
The U’s were then linked with a move for Everton striker Tom Cannon, according to Alan Dixon, but Sheffield Wednesday were leading the race.
The 20-year-old has been in fine form for Everton’s U21 side and it looked as though it would lead to first-team football with the Toffees, but that appears not to be the case.
If the U’s can convince the Everton hierarchy that he would get more game time at Grenoble Road then it could swing a move in their favour. However, Nixon later revealed that Championship side Preston North End were the closest to sealing a deal for the striker.
“I’m always really nervous about clubs making grand statements when a new owner comes in.”#oufc chief executive Tim Williams says it is ‘business as usual’ for the U’s in Januaryhttps://t.co/5PNvEAWGOH pic.twitter.com/7jwxDGe0Vz
— Oxford Mail OUFC (@OxfordMailOUFC) January 4, 2023
‘Business as Usual’
Oxford United’s chief executive says “it is business as usual” as the club head into a first transfer window under new ownership.
Indonesian investors Anindya Bakrie and Erick Thohir took a 51 per cent stake in the club in September and appointed the former Inter Milan chief financial officer and Manchester United financial controller shortly after.
Despite the change in personnel, Williams is wary when new owners splash the cash.
Speaking to the Oxford Mail, he said: “I’m always really nervous about clubs making grand statements when a new owner comes in.
“So to me, it is business as usual in the sense that we have we already discussed what we need to do and want to do in the January window.
“That need and want could evolve during the window.
“Those discussions will happen on a daily basis, as to what we need to do.”
Despite their somewhat underwhelming start to the new season, Williams believes that their ambitions to gain promotion remain the same.
He added: “Going into the new year, the objective remains the same – we want to get promoted.
“That is the goal and we are pushing for that goal.
“On the non-playing side, we’ve been working really hard to get the business organised in a slightly different way, making sure we’ve got the right people in the right place doing the right things at the right time with the right level of skill.
“We’re going to make a few key appointments in the new year so hopefully that’ll be good news on the non-playing side, which could really help to drive the business forward and the club forward on the playing side as well.
“We need to look into making some key appointments in the commercial side of the business, which is really going to drive our fan engagement and revenues, to then invest on the pitch.
“Hopefully there’ll be some good news there early in the new year.”
Oxford United ‘Keen’ on Sheffield United Forward
Sheffield United have recalled striker Will Osula from his loan spell with Derby County but are looking to find him a new club before the January transfer window closes.
Alan Nixon suggests that Oxford and Burton Albion are both keen on the 19-year-old, who scored five goals in 21 appearances for the Rams.
Three of those goals have come in the FA Cup where the Dane scored a brace in a 2-2 draw against Torquay before netting in the replay at Pride Park.
Midfielder Joins Solihull Moors
Oxford midfielder Oisin Smyth has joined National League side Solihull Moors on loan until the end of the season.
The 22-year-old, who joined the U’s last January, has managed just two appearances for the club, so game time is important in his development.
Speaking to the club’s official website, Karl Robinson said: “We hope it works for all parties.
“Oisin has had to be patient but there is a lot of competition and Lewis Bate, Cameron Brannagan and Marcus McGuane have made it hard for him to get games.
“We know Solihull are a good setup, they will look after him and he will hopefully get games and plenty of experience there.”
Defender on Oxford Radar
Blackburn Rovers defender Tayo Edun is said to be attracting interest from several League One clubs, including Oxford.
This comes from Yorkshire Live who claim that Sheffield Wednesday, along with Charlton Athletic, MK Dons and Lincoln City are all vying for his signature this month.
The left-back, who can also play in central midfield, is being made available for loan by Rovers as the 24-year-old has managed just eight Championship appearances this season.
‘We Do Know About Macauley and Connor’
In the last week, Connor Wickham and Macauley Bonne have been released by Forest Green and Queens Park Rangers respectively, with Robinson confirming one is of interest.
Former Sunderland and Crystal Palace striker Wickham scored nine times from 20 appearances for Forest Green, while Bonne found the net three times in 44 outings, although 34 of those came as a substitute. He also hit 12 in 46 while on loan at Ipswich Town last season.
Speaking to the Oxford Mail, the Oxford boss said: “We just need a striker to score goals.
“We have an idea – we do know about Macauley and Connor.
“Have they been spoken about here? One has.
“I’d be lying if I said they weren’t on a list but everyone’s got lists that are huge.”
✍️ We have completed the signing of defender Brandon Fleming on loan from @HullCity until the end of the season
Welcome to the U's, Brandon! 👋
— Oxford United FC (@OUFCOfficial) January 6, 2023
New Defender Joins
Oxford United then made their second signing of the January transfer window with the addition of Brandon Fleming.
The 23-year-old left-back joins the U’s on loan from Championship club Hull City, where he has made just shy of 50 appearances, including 15 of the Tigers’ final 19 league games last season.
Speaking to the club’s official website, he said: “It’s an exciting move for me.
“Oxford have a reputation for playing good football and they have been in and around the promotion places for a couple of seasons.
“I’m certainly hoping to be part of a side that pushes for that again in the second half of the season.”
Robinson added: “We’re really happy to have Brandon here.
“He’s good on the ball and a real competitor as well as being a good character.
“He knows what we want to achieve and he will train with us over the weekend and then hopefully be part of the squad when we play Arsenal on Monday evening.”
Oxford United Youngsters Leave on Loan
Young duo James Golding and Will Owens have left the club on one-month loan deals.
Golding has returned to Andy Whing’s Banbury United following a successful loan spell last season while Owens has been recalled from his loan at North Leigh and joined Bedford Town.
Defender Seals Cambridge Switch
Following the arrival of Fleming, the U’s then offloaded out-of-favour defender Steve Seddon, with the 25-year-old joining Cambridge United on loan.
Seddon had struggled to establish himself since his arrival at Grenoble Road last summer. The left-back may have turned out 58 times, scoring four goals and providing five assists, but it appears he has fallen out of favour at the club.
Trip to Manchester City in FA Cup Fourth Round for Third Round Winner
Oxford United welcome Premier League leaders Arsenal to Grenoble Road on Monday in the third round of the FA Cup.
While we await that result, both sides have learned who they will face in the next round of the competition after the draw was made on Sunday afternoon.
The match between Manchester City and Chelsea resulted in a comfortable win for Pep Guardiola’s side, meaning the winner of Oxford and Arsenal will face a trip north to the Etihad Stadium in the fourth round.
