Eight days before Oxford United's players report back for pre-season training for next season, and five days before the final of Euro 2000 which signals the end of last season, Denis Smith's team building is starting to take shape.

Smith hopes his assistant Mickey Lewis will today be able to announce that Joey Beauchamp has signed a new contract, and that a new left-sided centre half has also signed.

He has also had confirmation from Mark Watson's agent that the Canadian will be returning to Oxford for the 2000-2001 campaign, though until the defender himself has signed, Smith does not want to pre-judge anything.

And if he puts pen to paper for Oxford, Watson will have to say goodbye to representing his country next season. "According to Watson's agent, it's a done deal," Smith said. "We've made him a good offer but it means he'll have to forego his international career."

Lifting the CONCACAF Gold Cup in Los Angeles was the highlight of last season for Watson, so it will be a tough decision for him to rule himself out of Canada's World Cup qualifying campaign, which involves games virtually every month until Christmas.

However, Smith denied that he was effectively putting a gun to the player's head.

"It's not blackmail. He doesn't have to come and join us. That's the thing with freedom of contract - players can choose to do what they want.