Highlights
- Des Buckingham vows to keep Josh Murphy at Oxford United, highlighting the player’s importance and impact on the team’s success.
- Promising buzz of promotion may help secure Murphy’s stay, as club can now attract more ambitious transfer targets for next season.
- Murphy’s future at Oxford hangs in the balance as contract expiration looms; several second-tier clubs and MLS teams have shown interest.
Des Buckingham has provided an update on Josh Murphy’s Oxford United future.
Murphy has played a key role in the club’s promotion success, with the U’s earning their return to the Championship with a play-off final win over Bolton Wanderers.
His brace sealed a 2-0 win over the Whites at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, with the club set to compete in the second tier for the first time since 1999.
However, the 29-year-old has been the subject of transfer speculation heading into the upcoming summer window.
The winger has been linked with as many as six clubs, including the likes of Sunderland, West Brom and Southampton.
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Josh Murphy – Oxford United league goals and appearances (per Fbref.com) |
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|
Season |
Appearances (Starts) |
Goals (Assists) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2022-23 |
23 (10) |
0 (3) |
||
|
2023-24 |
28 (18) |
6 (4) |
||
Des Buckingham provides Josh Murphy future update
Buckingham has claimed that Oxford United will do everything in their power to keep hold of Murphy beyond this summer.
The 39-year-old praised the player’s impact at the club, indicating his importance to the manager’s first team plans for next season.
“I may have had a chat with him when we were up on the gantry lifting the trophy,” said Buckingham, via Oxford Mail.
“We’ll do as much as we can to try and keep Josh here.
“He’s a wonderful person, a very good player, and he suits the way we want to do things.
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“We’ll do as much as we can and see where that takes us.”
Murphy signed for the U’s in 2022, signing for the club as a free agent after his departure from Cardiff City.
The forward has contributed six goals and seven assists from his two seasons at the Kassam Stadium, helping the team finish 19th and fifth in the table.
A 2-1 aggregate win over Peterborough United in the play-off semi-final earned them a shot at promotion against Bolton at Wembley Stadium.
Murphy’s two goals were pivotal in sealing the victory, and promotion, against Ian Evatt’s side last Saturday.
Josh Murphy’s Oxford United contract situation
However, that could prove to be Murphy’s final contribution to his Oxford United career ahead of the summer.
The 29-year-old’s contract is set to expire in June, and so far no extension has yet been agreed.
Promotion to the Championship may help both parties find an agreement over staying with the club.
However, there is interest from a number of second tier sides, which also includes Hull City and QPR.
Murphy also has interest from MLS, with Minnesota United also reportedly scouting the winger following his impressive League One campaign.
The buzz of promotion has given Oxford a huge lift, and now brings a new opportunity going into the summer market.
The club can boast being a second tier club, which can help them secure slightly more ambitious transfer targets.
This can also include Murphy, who may be tempted to remain with the club beyond his contract now that they’ll be competing in the second division next year.
Signing Murphy on to a new contract would be a huge boost for Oxford United going into the summer, especially as it would also mean not having to find a replacement for such a key player.