The U’s have been relegated from the Championship after a two-year stay, finishing 22nd in the league and four points from safety.

Oxford join Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday in stepping down to the third tier.

On Monday, The Yellows confirmed their list of retained players ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

10 players have been released by the club following the expiry of their contracts.

Przemysław Płacheta, Myles Peart-Harris, Hidde ter Avest, Owen Dale, Will Goodwin, Joshua Johnson, Jacob Knightbridge, Steph Negru, Tom Bradshaw and Stuart Findlay will all depart OX4.

Myles Peart-Harris on the ball in his U’s debut against MK Dons (Image: ©Jason Dawson)

Head of football operations, Ed Waldron, told the club website: “I would like to place on record my thanks to each of the players departing the club for their contribution and professionalism during their time at Oxford United.

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“The recruitment process for the upcoming season has been underway for several months, and we will continue to look at ways to strengthen and improve the squad as we look to respond next season and push for promotion back to the Championship.”

Oxford United right back Hidde ter Avest (Image: Mike Allen)

Of the 10 released names, Dutch right back ter Avest is the only real surprise with the defender departing after two years at the club.

The 28-year-old played 36 times for The Yellows and scored one goal.

Oxford United winger Przemyslaw Placheta evades the challenge of Leicester City’s Jannik Vestergaard (Image: Mike Allen)

Polish winger Placheta is the most high-profile departure having played 60 matches for Oxford, scoring six goals and managing four assists.

The former Birmingham City and Norwich City man has been rumoured to be in talks with Major League Soccer outfit Austin FC in the United States.

Peart-Harris arrived in January from Premier League side Brentford on a contract until the end of the season and leaves having played 20 times, scoring on three occasions and assisting once.

Former Portsmouth and Blackpool winger Dale contributed to The U’s League One play-off winning 2023/24 campaign and leaves after spending the season on loan at Plymouth Argyle.

Oxford United have released winger Owen Dale (Image: Mike Allen)

Goodwin, Johnson, Knightbridge, and Negru are all players on the younger side who have recently been out on loan at lower league clubs having struggled to make strong enough impressions in OX4.

Experienced striker Bradshaw spent the second half of the season at Barnsley and leaves after 18 months at Oxford.

30-year-old defender Findlay departs after four years but having spent three of those on loan in Scotland.

The summer transfer window is just around the corner and, with the regular Championship season over, moves are already starting to formulate.

The U’s have been relegated to League One after two seasons in the second tier and will have business to do this summer if they are to bounce back next term.

Midfielder De Keersmaecker is one player who is expected to garner interest from elsewhere after an impressive first half of the season after arriving in OX4 last summer.

Oxford United midfielder Brian De Keersmaecker (Image: Jason Dawson)

The Belgian arrived from Dutch outfit Heracles Almelo and adjusted well to English football, scoring once and assisting five times in 26 Championship appearances.

After suffering a shoulder injury in January, De Keersmaecker has been out of action ever since after choosing to have an operation which meant his season would be ended prematurely.

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According to reporter Alan Nixon, the 26-year-old has already generated interest from the Championship having made an impression on John Eustace’s Derby.

The Rams are keen to recruit the midfielder, who can play as a number six, eight, or ten, on a ‘bargain deal’.

Derby loanee David Ozoh has returned to parent club Crystal Palace following The Rams’ failure to make the play-off places on the last day of the season, and the club are looking to find a ‘similar replacement’.

Oxford were defeated 2-0 on the final day of the season at Millwall and The U’s head coach was questioned as to the state of the squad heading into the summer.

“There’s going to be work that needs to be done to make sure that we come back in August and we’re ready to go,” Bloomfield told BBC Radio Oxford.

“I don’t think there’s an overhaul needed [or] that is necessary, but there are certainly some things that we need to improve on.

“We do have the nucleus of a really good squad for League One. We’ve had a squad that have been here for a few years. We’ve also got some really good young players who the football club have invested in that we’re really pleased to have.”

Oxford United head coach Matt Bloomfield celebrates (Image: Jason Dawson)

And he is right.

Oxford’s core of (to our knowledge) contracted players is strong.

Jamie Cumming, a Championship-capable goalkeeper, as number one. Experience and quality in defence with the likes of Ciaron Brown, Michal Helik, Sam Long, Jack Currie, and Brodie Spencer.

There is youth and excitement in the midfield and wide areas in Stan Mills, Aidomo Emakhu, and Jamie McDonnell – amongst others – and, of course, skipper Cameron Brannagan is there to hold down the fort.

Mark Harris celebrates in front of the Oxford United fans (Image: ©Jason Dawson)

Up top, there is Mark Harris, who scored 15 goals in his last League One campaign, and Nik Prelec who has shown signs in limited minutes and who will be keen to prove himself after signing for United permanently.

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An ‘overhaul’ suggests that huge swathes of players will be turned over, but that simply is not necessary this summer.

Some players will attract interest – most likely this season’s standouts like Stan Mills, Brian De Keersmaecker and Jack Currie – which The U’s will have to make decisions on regarding price tags and importance.

Oxford United head coach Matt Bloomfield on the touchline at the Kassam (Image: Jason Dawson)

There is also room for improvement in areas. The striking position is a slight unknown, for example, with the jury still out on Prelec and Harris not enjoying the most fruitful campaign last time out.

Ole Romeny also remains a slight mystery despite being at the club for near 18 months.

Oxford United’s Ole Romeny on the ball (Image: Jason Dawson)

Moving players on is where the task lies.

Out-of-favour names like Greg Leigh and Siriki Dembele are two that The Yellows must make decisions on regarding their futures with both still under contract.

It is unlikely teams will come in with big offers considering their lack of form and minutes so there is a question of whether to keep them and play them, or some sort of agreement regarding their contracts.

Other forgotten men like Louie Sibley, Will Goodwin, and Peter Kioso can be included in that realm.

Some contracts have question marks surrounding them meaning the upcoming retained list from the club will be intriguing.

But is an overhaul necessary? As Bloomfield said, ‘I don’t think so’.