Oxford United’s rebuilding for next season has started already with decisions being made this week on players’ futures.
Manager Karl Robinson has met with all of his players over the last week or so to discuss his plans and talk to the players face to face, and as a result the club will be taking up options to extend the contracts of Curtis Nelson and Rob Hall while left back Ricardinho and defender Sam Long have both been offered new one year deals and midfielder Joe Rothwell will also be offered a new contact with the U’s.
Goalkeeper Scott Shearer had a clause in his existing contract which has been activated to earn him a new one year contract while both Charlie Raglan and Kane Hemmings will return to the club this summer from their loans at Port Vale and Mansfield Town.
A number of players have been told that they will not be offered a new contract when theirs expire in the summer: Agon Mehmeti, Wes Thomas, Aaron Martin, Dwight Tiendalli, Mike Williamson, James Roberts and Josh Ashby, while Gino van Kessel has been told the club will not be taking up an option to turn his loan at United into a permanent deal and midfielder Ivo Pekalski has been told that he is free to find another club over the summer.
Karl told us:
“We are delighted to have made offers to the players we want to keep and who we see as part of the rebuilding but obviously there were some difficult decisions to be made and some tough conversations.
"They have worked so hard and I can honestly say that everything was done with respect and done the right way and we wish every one of the players leaving all the best for the future.
"The aim is to build a strong new team for what I am sure will be a very exciting season."