CAMERON Brannagan has signed a new contract with Oxford United – hours after it appeared he was on his way to Blackpool.

The Sky Bet Championship club triggered the seven-figure release clause in the midfielder’s deal last night and he is understood to have travelled to the north west earlier today.

U’s head coach Karl Robinson even suggested this morning Brannagan was off to Bloomfield Road, saying he would ‘wish him luck’.

But in a sensational U-turn, Brannagan returned to Oxfordshire this evening and put pen to paper on a three-year deal.

He said: “It’s hit the clause and everyone’s seen that, but it comes down to how much I really love it here.

“I do and I think the fans, players and staff know that. Off the field I’m happy and settled and I love the place, so why would I want that to change?

“I want to get this club out of this league, we’re very ambitious.

“We’ve come a long way and I don’t see why we can’t get to that next level.”

Robinson added: “We’ve been in negotiations for a long period of time for something we’re getting criticised for publicly.

“There was a buyout that was triggered late last night and the player gets the opportunity to speak to the club.

“Our owners had the conversation, came back about 7pm tonight and by 7.30pm Cameron agreed to sign a new long-term contract with no buyout clause, everything taken out. This is tremendous news.

“You do leave yourself open and it was a seven-figure sum. It was triggered, the buying club did everything they had to do.

“Other than that I don’t know too much about what has gone on, but he’ll still be wearing a yellow shirt for the next three years."

It is a huge boost to the U’s, who faced the prospect of losing one of their star players on the eve of the Sky Bet League One season.

Blackpool also pursued Brannagan in the previous two transfer windows and Robinson confirmed this morning that they had met the release clause.

Speaking earlier, he said: “There’s an option in his contract that if it’s triggered he’s got the right to speak.

READ MORE: Karl Robinson explains Cameron Brannagan situation

“The club he’s going to has been very aggressive in that, we’ve been very aggressive in the counter offer as well.

“You’ll read a lot of negativity surrounding it, that’s part of the industry we’re in, but we’ve tried everything.

“I’ll try to keep my head up and be dignified. There are so many things that aren’t right in my view, but I’ll just smile and wish him luck.

“He’s a great young man who has given everything to the football club.”

The former Liverpool trainee had 12 months left on the contract he signed in 2020.

Brannagan joined United in January 2018 and has become an influential figure in central midfield, scoring 29 goals in 188 games.

He was awarded players’ player of the year and supporters’ player of the year at the end of last season, while he was named in the PFA League One team of 2021/22.