OXFORD United will no doubt be making use of the loan market as they look to build a squad ready for the demands of Sky Bet Championship football.
Victory in the League One play-off final last month means the U’s will be competing in the second tier of English football for the first time in 25 years.
We profiled eight youngsters, from this season’s top four Premier League teams, who could be on United’s loan wish list.
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Bobby Clark (Liverpool)
The 19-year-old midfielder can also play further forward, and is the son of former Newcastle United midfielder Lee Clark.
He made his Reds first team debut in August 2022, as Liverpool thrashed AFC Bournemouth 9-0 at Anfield.
Clark replaced Trent Alexander-Arnold for the final seven minutes of the Premier League game, and has since gone on to make 14 appearances in all competitions.
He has scored one goal, Liverpool’s second in a 6-1 Europa League win against Sparta Prague back in March.
Will Dickson (Manchester City)
The 19-year-old can play across the forward line, but primarily operates as a striker.
He scored twice in three EFL Trophy games this season, and netted a brace to knock United out of the FA Youth Cup quarter finals in March 2023.
His two goals in five minutes helped City beat the U’s 3-0, after claiming a one-goal lead at half-time.
Kaide Gordon (Liverpool)
The 19-year-old winger made his senior debut in a 3-0 win against Norwich City in the Carabao Cup in September 2021, after joining the Reds from Derby County.
He became Liverpool’s youngest ever scorer in the Emirates FA Cup when he netted on his Anfield debut in a third round win over Shrewsbury Town in January 2022.
In total, Gordon has played seven games for the Reds.
Tim Iroegbunam (Aston Villa)
The 20-year-old midfielder joined Villa from West Bromwich Albion, and impressed for Queens Park Rangers on loan in the Championship during the 2022/23 campaign, scoring twice across 32 games. Last season, he made 15 appearances for Villa.
Iroegbunam was part of the England team that won the European Under-19 Championship in July 2022.
Kaine Kesler-Hayden (Aston Villa)
A right back with Championship experience will almost certainly be on United’s radar, as Sam Long is currently the only player in that position, following the end of Fin Stevens’ loan from Brentford.
Kesler-Hayden, 21, captained Villa to FA Youth Cup glory in 2021, and has had loan spells at Swindon Town, MK Dons and Huddersfield Town.
Last season, he made 27 appearances for Championship side Plymouth Argyle during the first half of the campaign.
Lewis Koumas (Liverpool)
The attacker, son of former Tranmere Rovers hero Jason, opened the scoring on his Reds debut, in a 3-0 win against Southampton in the FA Cup fifth round this season.
He played twice for Wales, including making his debut, in their recent friendlies against Gibraltar and Slovakia.
Brooke Norton-Cuffy (Arsenal)
An alternative right back option to Kesler-Hayden might be 20-year-old Norton-Cuffy.
Previous loans have been spent at Lincoln City, Rotherham United and Coventry City, where he played 21 league games to help the Sky Blues reach the Championship play-off final in 2023.
Last season, he made 40 Championship appearances on loan at Millwall.
Viljami Sinisalo (Aston Villa)
The U’s will almost certainly be looking at a goalkeeper or two in the transfer window, and 22-year-old Finland international Sinisalo would be an impressive addition.
The keeper is attracting interest though, after impressing on loan at Exeter City, where he played 50 times this season, keeping 14 clean sheets.
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