Oxford united FC
Erling Haaland signs for Oxford United from Manchester City
In a move that has stunned the football world, the Norwegian striker Erling has joined the Championship club on a two-month loan deal for the remainder of the 2025/26 season.
Haaland, widely regarded as one of the best strikers on the planet, agreed the short-term switch to the Kassam Stadium to “experience proper English football in a three-sided ground”.
The number nine added: “I’ve played in some big games, but nothing prepares you for a cold Tuesday night in Oxford.
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“I’ve heard the wind howls in from the open end, and I want to test myself in those conditions, as this is the challenge every top striker dreams of.
“I can’t wait to link up with the lads, try a burger from the kiosk and see if I can score from the car park.”
It is expected that Oxford’s current number nine, Mark Harris, will return to his country of birth to make way for Haaland after agreeing a deal with actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney to sign for Wrexham, according to insider Paula Hollywood.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola claimed he personally pushed the move through after being “blown away” by Haaland’s enthusiasm for the U’s.
“We have achieved many things at City,” the Catalan coach said.
“Premier Leagues, Champions League, all of this, but there is one thing I cannot give Erling: a view of Frankie & Benny’s mid-match.
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“When he came to me and said, ‘Mister, I need Oxford,’ I understood immediately.
“For his development, he must learn what it is like when the ball disappears into the open end and never comes back. Only then can he become complete.”
Guardiola insisted there was no risk to City’s ongoing title challenge, and when asked if he was happy with the move, he simply said: “More than you believe.”
News of the signing sparked a wild reaction among Oxford United supporters, many of whom were still checking the date on their calendars.
Season-ticket holder Tim E. Waster said: “When I saw the club post about Haaland, I nearly dropped my cuppa.
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“We’ve been crying out for a goal-scorer, and now we’ve gone and got one who usually scores 50 a season. I just hope he can make the step up from the Champions League to the Championship.”
Fellow fan Hugh Jestor said: “I always thought we needed someone to get on the end of our corners, but I didn’t realise the answer was a 6ft 4in Norwegian robot.
“I’m looking forward to seeing him try to find the ball in the Kassam car park after it’s been hoofed clear.”
Haaland is expected to train with his new teammates later today, once he has successfully navigated the congestion charge zones and worked out which of the three stands his family should sit in.
The U’s remain under a temporary transfer embargo which sees them banned from registering any new players until they prove their compliance with the EFL’s Squad Cost Management Protocol (SCMP) regulations.
Oxford brought in one new player prior to the embargo being confirmed, with former Heart of Midlothian centre back joining on a free transfer.
He, however, has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury which will keep the 30-year-old side-lined for a number of months.
Meanwhile, United’s league rivals are making sure to strengthen ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
The headline transfer news in the third-tier this week has been the loan transfer of Tommy Watson to Leicester City from Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion.
Watson joins on a season-long loan deal after just a year at Brighton having arrived from Sunderland last summer.
The 20-year-old scored the winning goal which saw the Black Cats beat Sheffield United in the 2024/25 Championship play-off final at Wembley despite already agreeing a £10 million move to the south coast.
He played just 10 times for the Seagulls and spent the second half of last season at Millwall.
Watson now drops down to the third tier in an attempt to help Leicester bounce back to the Championship after relegation alongside the U’s last term.
Elsewhere, MK Dons have continued to make waves in the window by bringing in former Middlesbrough winger Sam Silvera.
The newly-promoted Dons have brought in the winger on a free transfer after he was released by Boro at the end of last season.
It is another statement signing for Paul Warne’s side, with the Australian a first-choice name for the Teessiders last season until injury curtailed his season.
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The 25-year-old scored eight goals in 65 appearances for Boro.
Most recently, Oxford have seen Will Vaulks leave for League Two club Tranmere Rovers from whose academy he graduated.
The 32-year-old departs after two years at the club, playing 88 times.
Oxford’s first opponents of the season, Leyton Orient who they face in the Carabao Cup on Saturday, are in the midst of a fight to keep hold of star striker Dom Ballard.
The 21-year-old, who scored 23 goals and managed five assists in League One last year, is the target of Championship club Bristol City who are reportedly making a final push to sign the striker.
The Robins have offered £5 million for Ballard’s services, according to reporter Alan Nixon, with the O’s having held firm but are resigned to losing the prolific goal scorer.
Other moves in the division see Ollie Cooper join Notts County on loan from Swansea City and Stockport County sign Luca Ashby-Hammond after leaving Plymouth Argyle.
The 35-year-old was appointed into his first head coach role in June, taking over at United from Matt Bloomfield after retiring from professional football in April.
Ramsey has enjoyed a successful start to his tenure in OX4 so far, securing four wins from four pre-season fixtures, including a 2-0 victory over Premier League side Ipswich Town.
The former Gunners midfielder has also had to manage the squad amidst a temporary transfer ban which sees Oxford unable to register any new player until they prove compliance with the EFL’s Squad Cost Management Protocol (SCMP) regulations.
The ex-Wales international played under some world-renowned managers during his successful playing career in the likes of Wenger, Aston Villa boss Unai Emery and former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri.
“Arsene was a huge part of the success that I had as a player,” the Yellows head coach detailed after the pre-season win over Ipswich.
“And obviously, I took so much from him as well, from the manager side of things.
“But I’ve been very lucky and blessed to have played for some really good managers over the years, which I’ve taken little bits from as well.
“So, yes, I wouldn’t just say it’s all him, but definitely he’s formed part of that.”
Similarly to Wenger, Ramsey possesses a calm demeanour on the touchline, more often than not on the edge of his technical area with the occasional instruction directed at a player or the team as a whole.
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He is visibly calm and contemplative, something which he himself acknowledges.
“I think that’s me as a player, though. I’ve always been quite calm and comfortable in situations. So for me, that’s the way that I am.
“And I want my players to feel that and to feel like they can go out there and express themselves.
“So, yes, when they play like that [against Ipswich], it does make it a lot easier for me on the side lines.
“I think we need to be confident in what we’re trying to do for us to be able to really showcase exactly what we can do.
“It’s that confidence which is important without stepping over the line, but we need to embrace that.”
The U’s begin their campaign this Saturday with a Carabao Cup clash with League One rivals Leyton Orient.
Ramsey will be hoping his side can take the confidence and impressive performances from pre-season into the competitive campaign.
League action begins a week later, with the Yellows hosting newly-promoted MK Dons at the Kassam on the opening day.
The U’s return to the third tier after a two-year stay in the Championship, suffering relegation last term with a 22nd-placed finish under Matt Bloomfield.
The club revealed their new home strip last month and have worn it twice during pre-season when they beat Crawley Town 3-1 and Ipswich Town 2-0 at the Kassam Stadium.
Oxford’s away kit was released with a video on social media titled ‘Performance Inspires’, the shirt being inspired by Oxford’s performing arts, with a ballet performance filmed at Oxford New Theatre.
The video is soundtracked by a reimagined take on Oxford band Foals’ song ‘What Went Down’.
The shirt is available to buy online and in-store.
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