Oxford United have already made six signings since the January transfer window has been open but head coach Des Buckingham has confirmed that the club are keen to bring more players to the Kassam Stadium.
The U’s have found themselves deep into a race for promotion to the Championship this season and spent several weeks inside the automatic promotion spots under the previous manager Liam Manning, before the 38-year-old left to become the new boss at Bristol City.
However, the team’s form has slipped in recent weeks since Buckingham took over at the helm. Oxford United have played 15 matches in all competitions under the new coach, winning just six of those and losing seven times in total.
Nevertheless, the side are still inside the top six but are clinging on by merely three points, having suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to playoff rivals Barnsley on Tuesday night following a Sam Long own goal in the first half.
Oxford United have spent money this winter in an attempt to ensure that the wheels don’t fall off, signing the likes of Will Goodwin from Cheltenham Town and Kyle Edwards from Ipswich Town, as well as bringing Jamie Cumming and Tyler Burey in on loan.
But the signings won’t stop there, according to Buckingham. Speaking to This Is Oxfordshire, the manager admitted that he is hoping to sign two more forwards before next Thursday’s deadline:
“We’ll still go after attacking players, that’s what we’ve set out to do. We’ve got 19 games to go, and we’re a team that wants to go forward, put pressure on other teams and score goals.
“We’re going after two more forwards. Ideally a centre forward and a wide right forward.
“Obviously, we lost Stan Mills in that role, so it’s to make sure we’ve got what we need to fire us through and finish where we want.”
Writer’s View
Buckingham seems keen to sign more attackers as a result of the side’s injury woes at the moment, not because they’re misfiring in front of goal. In fact, Oxford United boast the sixth-best attack in League One this term, having scored two more goals than league leaders Portsmouth.
It will be interesting to see if the U’s have the budget to sign players who are contracted to other clubs, like Goodwin, or whether new arrivals will be free transfers like Joe Bennett and Alex Gorrin were.
Deputy Head of Writing
