OXFORD United are not likely to target a marquee signing this summer, but will instead aim for a mixture of both quality and quantity.

The U’s will be playing in the second tier of English football next season, for the first time in 25 years.

Three players from United’s promotion squad – Billy Bodin, Marcus Browne and James Henry – plus Steve Seddon, have already been released and will leave the club this summer, while the U’s remain in talks with out of contract trio Joe Bennett, Josh McEachran and Josh Murphy.

With key loan players Jamie Cumming and Fin Stevens returning to their parent clubs, United are currently light on numbers ahead of a transfer window in which they will need to make the team ready for Sky Bet Championship football.

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U’s chairman Grant Ferguson told this newspaper: “Ed’s [Waldron, head of recruitment] got a busy summer ahead, but Ed being Ed, he started on two different scenarios weeks ago.

“He’s got a very clear idea as the type of player we want. I don’t think we’re looking for a marquee signing. We’re looking for a number of very, very good signings.

“We need a combination of experience that will then leverage against young, high-quality players. What we’ll do is go for the very best young players and take them with us on the journey.”

Speaking at Wembley after United’s victory in the League One play-off final, U’s chief executive Tim Williams described the match as ‘the £10 million game’, adding that revenues will increase by between £8m and £10m next year.

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Ferguson said: “What Tim was talking about was the immediate effect on the revenue. Potentially if you look at the value of the club, and the trajectory of the club, it’s even more than that.

“We’ll need to put in a lot more investment to get to that point. We’ll have a gain on the revenue side, and we’re going to have to invest heavily on the squad in order to make that sustainable position.

“We have to keep investing in the stadium project, which is already taking a lot of shareholder investment before we have any planning permission.

“But that’s what the plan has always been, to be in a new stadium playing sustainably in the Championship. The shareholders understand that’s going to take a lot of investment.”

Oxford Mail:

United have a long-stated ambition of being an established ‘top 30 club’, something they can push closer towards next season.

Asked whether the U’s are ahead of schedule when it comes to the top 30 ambition, Ferguson responded: “Fortunately we never put a timeframe on it. What is key is that we’ll give it our best effort next season to stay there.

“I don’t like the idea of having to come back down again. Unfortunately, recent history shows that’s not unusual before you get established, but our preference would be not to do that.

“It’ll take a lot of hard work and a lot of investment next season, to do that, but that’s what the plan is.”