OXFORD United’s new board is in contact with Inter Milan with regards to players in Italy, the club’s chairman has said.

Grant Ferguson, who was appointed a director at United earlier this year, was on the board at Inter from 2014 to 2017.

He was at the Serie A giants when Erick Thohir, who has taken a controlling 51 per cent stake in the U’s alongside fellow Indonesian investor Anindya Bakrie, owned the club.

Ferguson and Thohir are not the only Inter Milan links at United these days, with Tim Williams’ position as chief executive finalised last week.

Williams previously served as chief financial officer at Inter and group financial controller at Man Utd.

Ferguson said: “We don’t have any direct contact with Inter Milan.

“We have a lot of social contact and professional contact with the people within the club, and those conversations happen on a fairly regular basis – about the potentials for recruiting players, in particular players that might have played in the Italian league, players they’ve seen that are not going to play for Inter Milan but might play elsewhere.

“There is contact between the clubs at a shareholder level and now at a working level within Oxford United.”

During this summer’s deadline day, the U’s got the signature of a player in Italy, when they signed Djavan Anderson from Lazio.

The 27-year-old right back has made two appearances for United since his move.

When questioned on the possibility of building a relationship between the U’s and Inter Milan, Bakrie said working with the board at the three-time European Cup winners would be something to pursue.

United’s co-owner said: “We want to work with professional managers that have done it before somewhere else.

“I’m not saying it’s easy but at least with track record, experience and a working together environment, combined with the management team that know Oxford United very well, I think that can be a good combination.”

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Williams though was more reserved on the links between the U’s and Simone Inzaghi’s side, who are currently seventh in Serie A.

He said that conversations had not taken place ‘in any meaningful way’.

“We are a very different club in a very different league,” Williams added.

“Obviously, as chief executive at Oxford United, I received a very nice congratulatory message from the chief executive at Inter Milan.

“But those conversations haven’t happened and it’s not something that’s on my agenda right now.”

United’s protracted change of ownership was completed last month, ending Sumrith ‘Tiger’ Thanakarnjanasuth’s four-and-a-half-year term as owner and chairman, although he remains a minority shareholder.

In addition to three European Cups, Inter have claimed 19 Serie A titles and the Coppa Italia eight times.

The Italians last won Serie A in the 2020/21 season and the Champions League in 2010, when Jose Mourinho’s side beat Bayern Munich.