OXFORD United looks set to take over the management of Oxford Sports Park – but further talks will need to be completed.

On Wednesday night, the city council’s cabinet agreed that the £4.9m facility in Horspath can be run by the football club in principle. It is already used by the U's as its training ground.

But officers must ‘enter into further negotiations’ with the club and Fusion Lifestyle, which currently runs the sports park for the council.

The authority said it was unable to give any more details about what those negotiations will entail or when they will take place because they involve financial matters between companies.

News of United taking over the sports park had been expected on Thursday. But it was delayed, partly because officers who were required to sign off council papers were out of the office.

The Horspath Road site is not being fully used but all of it should be open later this month.

READ MORE: Oxford United set to take over management of training ground

The football club is happy to take over the park, while Fusion has said it no longer wants to run it.

Fusion runs the city council’s leisure facilities. They include its leisure centres across Oxford and Oxford Ice Rink, in Oxpens Road.

The U’s have said the sports park will still be used as its training ground for its players and academy.

But it will run other community activities from it, including literacy and numeracy classes. Players will also lead combined training sessions at the site.

In council papers, the authority said it was happy to accept the change.

It said it hopes it will be able to take advantage of the club’s ‘very strong brand’ across Oxford.

Relations between the council and the club have not always been so cordial.

In 2016, former United chairman Darryl Eales was furious after being told by the council that it had rejected its bid to run the then yet to be built sports park.