Des Buckingham has left Mumbai City to join Oxford United according to reports by a national newspaper in India.
The sports editor of The Times of India, Marcus Mergulhao has posted on social media that the 38-year-old has "parted ways" with the Indian Super League side to join United.
Oxford-born Buckingham previously had stints with Wellington Phoenix and New Zealand age group teams.
Des Buckingham has parted ways with Mumbai City to join Oxford United. #IndianFootball #ISL #MCFC
— Marcus Mergulhao (@MarcusMergulhao) November 16, 2023
Mr Mergulhao tweeted: "Des Buckingham has parted ways with Mumbai City to join Oxford United."
The Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group.
It is the fourth-largest newspaper in India by circulation.
This follows national reports from here in the UK today that United are set to announce Buckingham as their new manager "via a pretty hefty compensation package".
Tom Barclay, a senior footballer writer at The Sun, tweeted: "Oxford are set to appoint Des Buckingham as their new manager, taking him from Mumbai City via a pretty hefty compensation package."
Oxford are set to appoint Des Buckingham as their new manager, taking him from Mumbai City via a pretty hefty compensation package
— Tom Barclay (@TomBarclay_) November 16, 2023
It is understood that confirmation is expected in the next 24 hours.
The Oxford Mail reported yesterday that the club were in the process of agreeing compensation with a club for their new manager.
Initial conversations, although broadly informal, took place with applicants at the end of last week, with more formalised interviews occurring in recent days.
United chairman Grant Ferguson returned to the UK in the early hours of Friday morning, arriving from Malaysia, where he is based.
Ferguson, alongside chief executive Tim Williams, head of recruitment Ed Waldron, and football advisor Derek Fazackerley have been the key figures during the interview process.
U’s interim head coach Craig Short meanwhile is due to give the squad a few days off with no fixture at the weekend due to the home clash with League One leaders Portsmouth postponed due to international call-ups.
Short has overseen two wins in charge of United, against Chelsea Under-21s in the EFL Trophy, and Leyton Orient in League One.
The former Blackburn Rovers defender has previously said he expects the replacement for Manning to take charge for the build-up to the trip to Cheltenham Town on November 25, the next game for the club.
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