Oxford United head coach Des Buckingham has given a new update in regards to his plans for the rest of the January transfer window.
The January transfer window closes next Thursday, the 1st of February at 11pm, and it is expected that plenty EFL teams will still be active down to the final minutes.
One of those teams who are expected to be active in the final week are Oxford United who are still looking to bring a couple more names through the doors of the Kassam Stadium this January. This is manager Des Buckingham’s first window in charge, and as a result, he has made a few changes to the squad.
There had at one point been rumours of another midfielder joining the club, those murmurs have since been quashed by Buckingham, emphasising that other areas of the pitch are need improvements this window.
The U’s have already made four signings this month, new goalkeeper Jamie Cumming, wingers Tyler Burey and Kyle Edwards and potentially the marquee signing of the four, striker Will Goodwin from Cheltenham Town. It doesn’t look likely that they’ll be the last, with Buckingham looking to bring at least one more name in.
Oxford currently sit within the play-off positions in League One however a loss to Bristol Rovers on Saturday could see them slip down to seventh. Though their form may have been slightly erratic in recent weeks, the U’s are more than in contention for a place.
New signings will help improve their chances, and speaking to the Oxford Mail, Buckingham outlined his plans.
“We’ve got four or five good players in those positions (midfield) at the moment. You can’t always in every window refresh every area of the pitch.
“Priority-wise for us right now, we know Marcus Browne and Kyle [Edwards] will come back at the end of March, but it’s about making sure we have what we need now.
“In the next four or five weeks, we need to arrive in those five games in a good position, to be able to welcome those two players back and have the kick we expect from both of them, and us as a team.
“So it’s about making sure we get those players now, to be able to do that.”
“We’re continuing to chase a couple of other signings, and if we can get them in before the window, it will complement what we already have, and allow us to go on and hopefully do what we want towards the end of the season.”
Writer’s View
Oxford have been one of the surprise packages of the season. After Liam Manning left for Bristol City, it could’ve easily gone downhill, but Des Buckingham has steadied the ship in recent weeks,
Their play-off ambitions are still more than alive and bringing in one or more two names will no doubt enhance their chances. If able to take all three points away from their clash with Bristol Rovers on Saturday, then the U’s will be in a very good position going into the final third of the season.
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