League One side Oxford United have had time to ramp up their preparations for the summer for some time after failing to secure a place in the play-off zone.

Perhaps this is to be expected considering the strength of other sides including Sheffield Wednesday who had rebuilt their squad and MK Dons who have thrived under the stewardship of Liam Manning.

Ipswich Town also invested heavily in their squad last summer with 19 new additions - but the U's managed to finish above the Tractor Boys and this will be a small consolation to Karl Robinson who will be desperate to see his side in the promotion mix next season.

 

 

Previously just 90 minutes away from Championship football when they took on Wycombe Wanderers in the 2020 final, before losing out to Blackpool in the play-off semi-final last year, there will certainly be no shortage of motivation to push for a place in the second tier next season.

However, they will need to be active in the transfer market once again to fill the voids left by departures and level up in certain areas, with potential further departures this summer giving Robinson even more work to do in terms of incomings.

Looking at the current state of play at the Kassam Stadium, we have identified two players who may face an uncertain future in the coming weeks.

Alex Gorrin

You have to feel for the Tenerife-born midfielder who spent the majority of the campaign out with an ACL injury, a setback that may take a good chunk of his pre-season to recover from as well.

With his contract expiring this summer, this type of injury came at the worst possible time with the U's potentially hesitant to offer him a lucrative deal, especially with no guarantees that he will come back as the same player he was before being ruled out.

However, Andreas Weimann's superb return from this same setback last year will provide the 28-year-old with hope, with the Austrian recording 22 league goals in 46 league matches during the 2021/22 campaign, not missing a single Championship match last term.

Weimann was handed a three-year deal by officials at Ashton Gate last summer in what was seen as a gamble by some at the time - and there's every chance similar faith could be placed in Gorrin who could repay that.

At this stage though, his future looks uncertain despite being offered a new deal, with Charlton Athletic and Sunderland believed to be interested in the midfielder.

Billy Bodin

Recording six goals and five assists in 21 league matches this term, Bodin could potentially push for a move back to the second tier this summer after thriving in League One.

At 30, the Welshman will be looking to get back to the second tier sooner rather than later if he harbours those ambitions, though he may be convinced to stay if United show real ambition in the transfer market this summer.

After such a disappointing spell at Preston North End and with the 30-year-old living local to where he was born again though, he may decide to stay where he is and that wouldn't be the worst career choice given Oxford are likely to be competing in the top half of the table once again next season.

Judging by his goal contributions record in 2021/22 and some of his performances, he seems to be thriving in his current environment and this is another reason why the midfielder may decide to continue plying his trade at the Kassam after being offered a new deal to extend his stay beyond the summer.

If he continues to thrive, he may get a move in January, so he shouldn't be in a rush to move on at this stage despite his obvious quality. Technically, he's a cut above the U's division.