Oxford United had a terrific transfer window. 16 new arrivals with a mix of experience and youth, alongside keeping hold of key players.
Squad depth was another area that Des Buckingham and Ed Waldron addressed, although there is one area of the pitch the U’s still look light.
Mark Harris is the club’s only recognised fit striker. Will Goodwin is currently injured while Gatlin O’Donkor has joined Bristol Rovers on loan. Although summer signings Matt Phillips and Siriki Dembele can play there, the duo are better suited out wide.
In this article, we’ll take a look at three out of contract strikers that the club could still sign.
Kemar Roofe
I’m sure the majority of Oxford fans would love the idea of a return to the club for Kemar Roofe.
The 31-year-old helped the U’s secure promotion from League Two in 2016 and netted an impressive 31 goals in 65 appearances during his time at Grenoble Road.
From there, he joined Leeds United for £3 million, becoming the club’s most expensive sale, before playing for Vincent Kompany’s Anderlecht and Rangers, where he left in the summer after four seasons.
He has struggled with injuries and wages would be on the higher end, but if everything fell into place it could be a quality bit of business.
Freddie Ladapo
Another 31-year-old striker, Freddie Ladapo has been a threat in front of goal since a prolific campaign for Plymouth in the 2018/19 season.
He netted 19 times for the Pilgrims before a move to Rotherham, where he scored 41 in 123 appearances. The striker joined Ipswich and scored 17 times as the Tractor Boys won promotion from League One and added four more last season before joining Charlton on loan.
Ladapo would probably be used more as an impact substitute but is capable of pushing Harris for that starting role.
Aaron Connolly
At just 24 years old, former Brighton striker Aaron Connolly could be a decent bit of business from the U’s.
The Republic of Ireland international turned out 58 times for the Premier League outfit, scoring eight times. However, large parts of his tenure at the AMEX was spent on loan at Luton, Middlesbrough, Venezia and Hull.
Two goals in five appearances prompted the Tigers to sign him on a permanent basis and the striker would follow that up with eight in 27 Championship outings last season. However, Connolly was released in the summer having only signed a one-year deal.
Other Mentions
There are, of course, plenty of other options that we looked at. Scott Hogan is a 32-year-old striker with 13 consecutive years of second tier experience, while Lys Mousset has showcased his versatility in the Premier League, but has been out of contract since January. The other player we highlighted was Jón Dadi Bödvarsson, with the former Bolton man also available.