Oxford United boss Karl Robinson admitted his side have fended off other club's advances for striker Gavin Whyte, but not Cardiff City, as reported by the Oxford Mail.

The Irishman only joined the U's last summer from Crusaders, going on to net nine goals in 47 matches. Despite the modest return, it's seen him linked with a move to the Championship, with both Nottingham Forest and Cardiff thought to be interested.

It's been reported that the Bluebirds have recently put in a £1.5m bid for the 23-year-old, but former MK Dons boss Robinson refuted that suggestion.

“I know Neil (Warnock, Cardiff’s manager), so if there is he’ll call me. That’s the first time I’ve heard of that," he said.

“We’ve turned down a lot of offers for Gavin and people know where we stand. We know people like him. I love a lot of players too – but I don’t get them all.”

Oxford held Championship side Fulham to a 1-1 draw last night, courtesy of a goal from John Mousinho, but Whyte was conspicuous by his absence. He did not train last week due to a tight hamstring, which is believed to be the reason he sat out the game against the Cottagers.

The U's are currently in the market for a striker to ease the burden on Whyte, something considered a high-priority over the coming days and weeks.

The Verdict

It does seem there are forces at work behind the scenes pushing for Whyte's transfer. This isn't the first story about possible bids for him and Karl Robinson seems to be talking about a transfer away from Oxford more and more. He won't want to lose Whyte, but is there an agent looking to engineer a move?

These stories don't come from thin air and it's interesting to see the saga slowly unfolding over time.

Robinson won't want to lose his prized asset, despite the low goals return. He needs to add to his squad; he's not replaced the attacking prowess of Jerome Sinclair, nor Marcus Browne and the squad is arguably weaker than the one that finished last season.