Oxford united FC
Reading and Oxford interested in Wycombe’s Fred Onyedinma
The 29-year-old, who is in his fourth stint with the Chairboys, is rumoured to have rejected a new contract with the South Buckinghamshire side, according to transfer expert Pete O’Rourke.
This would make him a free agent when his current deal expires on June 30.
The Nigerian rejoined Wanderers in the autumn of 2024 and has since gone on to score 16 goals in 94 appearances during that period.
In the 2025/26 campaign, he netted 10 times in 48 games across all competitions, earning both the Supporters’ Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year awards, the first time he has achieved the feat in his six seasons with the club across different spells.
With Wycombe expected to release their retained list by May 16, it is anticipated that Onyedinma is set to leave, with both Oxford and Reading showing interest.
Should he move east to Berkshire, he would be reunited with the Couhigs, under whom he played between 2019 and 2021.
During their reign, Wycombe gained promotion to the Championship for the first time in the club’s history, with Onyedinma playing a key role. He scored twice in the League One play-off semi-final second leg against Fleetwood Town in a 2-2 draw at Adams Park, securing a 6-3 aggregate victory.
In the final, coincidentally against Oxford United at Wembley, he was fouled in the penalty area by goalkeeper Simon Eastwood with 11 minutes remaining and the score level at 1-1.
Club legend Joe Jacobson, now the CEO at Reading, converted the resulting penalty to seal a 2-1 victory and confirm Wanderers’ place in the second tier for the first time.
Alternatively, if the former Millwall, Luton Town and Rotherham United player opted to travel west along the M40, he would reunite with former teammate and current Oxford head coach Matt Bloomfield.
He would also link up again with ex-Chairboys head coach Mike Dodds, under whom Onyedinma played for six months between February and September 2025, before Dodds was sacked following a poor run of form. Dodds is now Bloomfield’s assistant.
Across his four spells at Wycombe, Onyedinma has scored 39 goals in 207 appearances.
Following the final-day victory against Rotherham United on May 2, head coach Michael Duff revealed that recruitment meetings were already underway, with the club expected to be busy in the market.
Deals are anticipated to be completed ahead of pre-season, with the possibility of additional arrivals once the campaign has begun.
The new league season will start on Saturday, August 15, with the first round of Carabao Cup fixtures taking place a week earlier on Saturday, August 8.
Assistant head coach Mike Dodds has officially left Oxford United after just five months in the job to take on the role of assistant head coach with the Championship side.
He joined United in January 2026, and is departing to reunite with former colleague and new Rovers boss Tony Mowbray.
READ MORE: Hearts defender joins Oxford United as first summer signing
Dodds joined United alongside Matt Bloomfield, who was dismissed by the club earlier this month almost two moths after failing to keep the club in the Championship.
The assistant coach was first rumoured to be heading to Blackburn Rovers earlier this month, a move which has now been confirmed by Oxford.
A spokesperson for the club said: “We would like to thank Mike for his hard work and dedication and wish him well for the future.
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“An update on Aaron Ramsey’s backroom staff ahead of the 2026/27 season will be announced shortly.”
The 40-year-old was previously in charge of Wycombe Wanderers seven months in his head coach role to date as he was sacked in September 2025.
He was previously a coach at Sunderland for four years and Birmingham City before that where he was credited as having a positive impact on the development of Real Madrid and England star Jude Bellingham.
The League One home fixture against Reading, originally scheduled to take place on Saturday, August 29, has been postponed to September.
This is due to a request from Thames Valley Police ‘due to a number of significant events already taking place during that Bank Holiday weekend’.
READ MORE: Hearts defender joins Oxford United as first summer signing
The new date for the match is Tuesday, September 8, with a 7.45pm kick-off at the Kassam Stadium.
Oxford United said that should either of the clubs progress to round three of the Carabao Cup, the fixture would instead be played on Tuesday, September 15.
A spokesperson for Oxford United said: “We appreciate the understanding of supporters affected by this change and will provide any further updates, including ticket information, in due course.”
Experienced defender Frankie Kent joins Oxford United with 13 years of league football behind him, and more than 400 appearances across Colchester United, Peterborough United and recently in Scotland with Heart of Midlothian.
The 30-year-old is a commanding and physical centre-back who proved himself as a League One pedigree when he won promotion with Peterborough in 2021.
READ MORE: Oxford United to play Leyton Orient in Carabao Cup
Meanwhile last season, Kent helped Hearts secure a second-place finish in the Scottish Premiership.
Speaking about joining United, he said: “This is a very exciting move for me to be joining a club with a clear ambition for success.
“I’ve had very positive conversations with people at the club, and I am confident I can use my experience to drive standards, not just on the pitch but off it as well.
“I understand the demands of this league, and I return to England a much better player and leader following three fantastic years in Scotland.
“I’ve come here to help push this club forward, and I’ll do everything I can every day to help us improve and achieve our ambitions.”
Newly appointed head coach Aaron Ramsey said he’s ‘delighted’ with the first signing under his leadership.
READ MORE: Ex-Arsenal Ramsey and Wilshere to battle in League One
Mr Ramsey said: “I had very positive conversations with the club before arriving about the business we wanted to complete this summer, and I’m delighted we’ve moved quickly to bring in a player of Frankie’s quality and character.
“As a player, Frankie is a dominant, aggressive defender who is comfortable in possession, and his profile fits exactly how we want this team to play.
“As importantly, Frankie embodies the values we want to hold throughout the football club.
“He’s someone who will raise the standards and push to help create the elite environment we strive for.
“As a first signing, it’s a real statement for us. We’re bringing in someone who can make an immediate impact both on the pitch and within the group.”
Head of football operations Ed Waldron last week said himself, the new head coach and the club are ‘aligned on what we think the squad needs’, saying they’re ready to ‘get deals done’.
Following the signing announcement, Mr Waldron added: “Frankie is a player we’ve admired for a long time, dating back to his time at Colchester when he regularly came up against Oxford United.
“Scotland is a market we monitor closely and, throughout his time at Hearts, Frankie has consistently been one of the league’s standout defenders.
READ MORE: Aaron Ramsey targets reunion with former Arsenal defender at Oxford
“Our recruitment process combines detailed data analysis with extensive live scouting, and Frankie stood out in every aspect.
“Equally importantly, our background work highlighted the qualities he brings away from the pitch.
“He’s a strong personality, a natural leader and exactly the type of character we want in the building, so we’re delighted to welcome him to Oxford United.”
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