OXFORD United boss Malcolm Shotton revealed today that he would consider selling Joey Beauchamp - if the right offer came along.

It is reported that Southampton have put in a bid of £1m for the winger, just a week after claims that United turned down a £900,000 bid from West Brom manager Denis Smith.

Shotton said no bids have come to him but he would not rule out the possibility of selling the 27-year-old player - who missed Saturday's game at Crystal Palace with an ankle injury - if it enabled him to improve his team.

He said: "If an offer came along which meant I could sign players and strengthen the squad, I would have to look at it."

Last season Beauchamp hit 19 goals and was rated around £2m but United may be prepared to accept less than that if it helps Shotton to shake up the team in the way he believes he has to.

Shotton has begun a search for a new striker on loan because of the injury to Kevin Francis and hopes to have someone in before the Bank Holiday weekend first division games against Grimsby and Barnsley.

The U's are still looking for their first league win of the season after going down 2-0 to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday when they were sunk by two goals in the opening 12 minutes. It was a much-improved performance after the sorry show against Luton last week when Shotton described the team as a disgrace.

But they are still clearly lacking firepower. And with Francis likely to be sidelined for another three weeks at least with his knee infection, and young striker Simon Weatherstone collecting an ankle injury at Palace, Shotton confirmed he was after new blood.

"No disrespect to the lads who are playing up front, but we're having to look at bringing someone else in, probably on loan," he said.

"We are lightweight up front and I definitely want to get someone in by this Saturday if I can."

United's manager revealed: "Last Friday we even had a look at one who was with a Premiership club, but it wasn't right. Even so, I'm quite hopeful we'll get someone."

Palace's foreign stars caused the damage against United with the outstanding Sasa Curcic laying on the first goal for Bruce Dyer and Attilio Lombardo scoring the second with a cheeky, quickly-taken free-kick.

United's players were unhappy that the referee allowed Lombardo's goal to stand when he hadn't blown for the free-kick to be taken.

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