Transfer Window January 2026 Post Transfer Window Thread

[Carpy]

 

[Oxford57]

It seems irrespective of who the coach/manager/recruitment team since the year dot no one wants to sign/can’t find a physically dominant midfielder or centre forward , who can “put them selves about a bit”, I know I am old, but the modern style of tippy tippy football is just mind blowing boring,
Rant over,

 

[The Voice Of Reason]

MPH showed what a loan ( even tho he's not). Should play like absolutely nothing left in the tank. Like Lanks gave his all

 

[Symp59]

MPH showed what a loan ( even tho he's not). Should play like absolutely nothing left in the tank. Like Lanks gave his all

They are brilliant most games ,then be take Lanksher and MPH off and Harris and Dembele come on and my heart sinks another defeat incoming

 

[The Voice Of Reason]

They are brilliant most games ,then be take Lanksher and MPH off and Harris and Dembele come on and my heart sinks another defeat incoming

Agreed. I thought we don't want to win. This. I understand MPH tank was empty you saw that in TV pics at the end

 

[dickwalton1964]

Krastev, like many, wasn't give a proper chance. Instead he had to produce in 15 minute cameos to get a look in and that's difficult when you're settling into a new club, new country and new culture. Clearly talented though.

 

[Eric Blair]

Krastev, like many, wasn't give a proper chance. Instead he had to produce in 15 minute cameos to get a look in and that's difficult when you're settling into a new club, new country and new culture. Clearly talented though.

I agree. I thought he was superb against Derby and I think it was him a Currie doubling up on their right back which caused so many problems for them. I would have liked to see him in a number 10 role too. I just don't think he got a decent chance.

 

[billyturleyscurlywurly]

Second half of the season with Harris as our only other fit striker option to a knackered Lankshear.

Lazy.

 

[Eric Blair]

All very early but I cant help but think we got the approach wrong to this window.

We've got a huge turnover in January which doesn't feel great without a preseason to gel the team (you're building the plane while flying the plane). I know it's not easy but I would have preferred real quality over quantity.

The outs needed to go to create room and save on wages (and I'm sorry things didn't work out for some of them as they are likeable and good professionals) but the ins feel a bit scatter gun to me.

I would have liked more focus on one or two absolute quality signings (one defensive midfielder, one left winger and maybe a right wing back if we play three at the back). I know we need goals but the bigger problem at the moment is not having a battling midfield and the ability to turnover the ball quickly and create opportunities. Get the ball to Lankshear and he will score. A new left winger and a really strong defensive midfielder could do that. As for striking options - I would like to see more of Prelec when he is back from injury (soon?). Lanks, Prelec and Harris in that order should be enough to see us through with a decent supply.

 

[Front Post]

On the basis that:
Goodrham out for the season
Krastev gets binned

You're down to 26 that count to the squad cap including 7 loans.

Who is likely to be the one not registered?
Dembele/Leigh/Ter Avest are the only three I can think as the Indonesian factor with Romeny will surely save him.

Squad Cap Players
GK:
1 Cumming
2 Ingram

RB:
Spencer (U21)
3 Ter Avest

RCB:
4 Long
5 Helik
6 Mokosso (ON LOAN)

LCB:
7 Brown
8 Davies (ON LOAN)

LB:
9 Currie
10 Roosken (ON LOAN)
11 Leigh

Midfield:
12 Brannagan
13 BDK
McDonnell (U21)
14 Vaulks
15 Konak (ON LOAN)

Attacking Midfield:
16 Donley (ON LOAN)
17 Romeny
18 Krastev (ON LOAN)
Goodrham (Out for season)

Wingers:
19 Peart-Harris
20 Mills
21 Jeon
22 Placheta
23 Emakhu
24 Dembele

Centre Forward:
25 Lankshear (ON LOAN)
26 Prelec (ON LOAN)
27 Harris

Older Young Pros
Golding (21)
Johnson (21)
O'Donkor (21)

Younger Young Pros
Burton (18/19)
Elliott-Wheeler (19 - on loan at Gateshead)
Griffiths (18 - Injured)
Halil (19)
Lacey (18 - on loan at Hampton & Richmond)
Lee (17/18)
Marriott (19)
McIntyre (19)
Snowden (17 - Injured)
Took-Oxley (19)

Loaned Out
Bradshaw
Dale
Findlay
Goodwin
Kioso
Marselino
Negru
Sibley

Other
Eastwood

 

[Front Post]

Krastev, like many, wasn't give a proper chance. Instead he had to produce in 15 minute cameos to get a look in and that's difficult when you're settling into a new club, new country and new culture. Clearly talented though.

10 starts playing 77, 72, 79, 56, 76, 73, 79, 76, 62 and 73 minutes.
6 sub on's with all but one of those being 20mins plus. (20, 27, 24, 9, 24, 35)
5 sub not used

862 minutes of football, equivalent of 9.57 games.

Just as a comparison to some players who we as fans wrote off or have been around the club in the past couple of seasons:
Tom Bradshaw in his time with us was given the equivalent of 3.95 games.
Louie Sibley - 2.01 games
Dembele - 22.46 games
Romeny - 9.28 games

*All stats are for league games only*

Writing this made me realise how little game time some players have got despite the opinions of them from a decent chunk of the fan base.

 

[battman]

On the basis that:
Goodrham out for the season
Krastev gets binned

You're down to 26 that count to the squad cap including 7 loans.

Who is likely to be the one not registered?
Dembele/Leigh/Ter Avest are the only three I can think as the Indonesian factor with Romeny will surely save him.

If we had to submit final squads before the Sheffield United game, then it looks like Ter Avest misses out.

We haven’t seen him much this season due to injury, and it’s just not worked out for him here. I think he’s out of contract in the summer too, which would make it a bit easier to pay him off

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Krastev, like many, wasn't give a proper chance. Instead he had to produce in 15 minute cameos to get a look in and that's difficult when you're settling into a new club, new country and new culture. Clearly talented though.

The brutal world of modern day football. You either hit the ground running or show enough in training to stay in and around. The fact he hasn’t been in the last few squads tells me he hasn’t done enough in the latter.

 

[Front Post]

Krastev exit confirmed

Filip Krastev Recalled from Loan By Lommel SK | Oxford United Football Club

Filip Krastev Recalled from Loan

www.oufc.co.uk

 

[Shaun Rice]

Jamie Donley - 6 month loan with 4.5 million pound option
MPH - short term permanent contract
Yunus Konak - 6 month loan
Jamie McDonnell - long term deal for reported 1.5 million pounds
Jeon Jin-Woo - long term deal for high 6 figure sum
Christ Makosso - 6 month loan with a reported 3 million pounds option
Ruben Roosken - 6 month loan with permanent option that could become an obligation
Aidomo Emakhu - 3.5 year deal for a 1 million pounds fee

I think it’s too early to say if it’s been successful or not.
Donley has played 15 minutes.
MPH has been absolutely fantastic.
Konak I’m not sure, he hasn’t exactly set the would alight like MPH but it’s early days. Is he going to play over Cam, BDK or McDonnell? Doubtful at this stage.
McDonnell looked okay. We need that bite in our midfield.
Jean Jin-Woo not kicked a ball yet.
Makosso, looked very good on Tuesday.
Roosken, not kicked a ball
Emakhu, not kicked a ball.

If Donley, Jin-Woo, Roosken and Emakhu have the same impact as MPH then we’re staying up! But if we’re bringing Romney, Placheta, Dembele and Harris on to change the game. It’s already over and done.

 

[JOHN BOY]

Yes we need to play the new players.

 

[BigAlan]

You can dump Dembele, Harris and Romney, there useless when there needed.

 

[tonyw]

If we had to submit final squads before the Sheffield United game, then it looks like Ter Avest misses out.

We haven’t seen him much this season due to injury, and it’s just not worked out for him here. I think he’s out of contract in the summer too, which would make it a bit easier to pay him off

Agreed - looks very likely that it's HTA that we're not going to be registering.

Which is a crying shame, because I think he's by some distance our best bet to play RWB, and it seems as if Bloomfield favours playing with one.

Presumably he just can't get, and stay fit.

 

[billyturleyscurlywurly]

Squad has to be submitted by tomorrow.

Wrexham just announced theirs.

 

[HillBilly]

After all that we're registering a squad of 24 senior players (with 6 loans).

From the sounds of it Donley is close, so Prelec and ter Avest will be left out.

If Prelec recovers fully, we can add his name later, and also give him a permanent deal. But at the moment there's still the possibility of registering ter Avest.

Goodrham is unlikely to be registered, but it's a remote possibility.

There were two players who turned down moves away on deadline day. If Leigh was one, that could help MB when it comes to deciding which loan player to leave out of the matchday squad.

Makes sense.

 

[Oxford84]

Squad has to be submitted by tomorrow.

Wrexham just announced theirs.

24 Forwards and a Goalkeeper?

 

[Marked Ox]

24 Forwards and a Goalkeeper?

Nah, 25 forwards. They'll just rotate them as the keeper.

 

[Jster]

Interesting - the EFL rules say the squad list has to be submitted within 24 hours of the window closing *or* at a date of the EFL's choosing. There doesn't seem to be any clarity which applied this time. Looking at the sites of other clubs, some seem to say it was 7pm on Tuesday, others 5pm yesterday. Has to be announced by the clubs within 7 days of submission, I think. Anybody found anything definitive?

 

[Jster]

You can dump Dembele, Harris and Romney, there useless when there needed.

Yeah, it was a pity we only drew 1-1 at Leicester.

 

[Shaun Rice]

Yeah, it was a pity we only drew 1-1 at Leicester.

It was a very well taken goal. Fair play to him. If we’re defending Harris I’d say, as we rarely even get the ball into the opposition box it’s hard for any of our strikers. But you have to concede we could do far better.

 

[Being boiled]

That final squad position will be interesting. If HTA is reasonably close to fitness then there is a case for inclusion as he is the most natural Rwb as well as able to cover at RB. But on the other hand we don’t need 3 LWB/LB so perhaps Greg Leigh may be surplus ??

 

[werthersoriginal]

After all that we're registering a squad of 24 senior players (with 6 loans).

From the sounds of it Donley is close, so Prelec and ter Avest will be left out.

If Prelec recovers fully, we can add his name later, and also give him a permanent deal. But at the moment there's still the possibility of registering ter Avest.

Goodrham is unlikely to be registered, but it's a remote possibility.

There were two players who turned down moves away on deadline day. If Leigh was one, that could help MB when it comes to deciding which loan player to leave out of the matchday squad.

Makes sense.

Where is this from? Or is it just your guess?

 

[The Voice Of Reason]

on the dub they say Spurs rejected bids of north of 10 mill for Lanks, he was 1-2 at start of the season after poor loans, shows you how players grow as can their price

 

[forevayella]

Krastev, like many, wasn't give a proper chance. Instead he had to produce in 15 minute cameos to get a look in and that's difficult when you're settling into a new club, new country and new culture. Clearly talented though.

I’d much rather have him than Dembele!

 

[Some U's fan]

Krastev, like many, wasn't give a proper chance. Instead he had to produce in 15 minute cameos

I just don't think he got a decent chance.

After getting injured at QPR, he missed one match, was on the bench the next and got 20 mins the match after, presumably as he was recovering fully. If you take those three games out, then he started ten of a possible 19 under GR including nine of the first 12. I wouldn't say he didn't get a chance. I would say that he looked really good against Leicester and Bristol, but then whether it was because of the physicality of the Championship or something else, his performances dropped off dramatically. I think by the time MB came in the decision had already been made to drop him from the squad if we could get a replacement, which is why he didn't feature.

 

[NorthWestOx]

on the dub they say Spurs rejected bids of north of 10 mill for Lanks, he was 1-2 at start of the season after poor loans, shows you how players grow as can their price

If he goes for £10M, do we get a percentage of that for helping to develop him?
i know we had to pay a percentage of the transfer fee to a club we had sent a player on loan to, a few years back.