Oxford United set to sign Sheffield Wednesday midfielder | OneFootball

Oxford United are set to recruit Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Will Vaulks, according to journalist Darren Witcoop.

The U's need to build a squad capable of competing in the Championship after their League One play-off final win against Bolton Wanderers last month.

And there are plenty of areas that need to be addressed.

A replacement for Jamie Cumming will be needed considering the goalkeeper was only on loan at the Kassam Stadium - and the U's may not want to rely on Simon Eastwood to be their number one next term.

A right-back will also be needed with Fin Stevens leaving after the end of his loan stay - and Des Buckingham's side could benefit from recruiting a top-quality centre-back option.

Moving forward, it's clear that more attacking quality will be required, with Josh Murphy's future remaining uncertain at this stage as he continues to attract strong interest.

Mark Harris was an asset for a decent chunk of last term, but things didn't always go his way and it's clear that more striker options will be required.

Oxford United set to sign Will Vaulks

The midfield department looks set to be the first to be addressed this summer, with Vaulks set to come in.

They may already have Cameron Brannagan at their disposal, with the 28-year-old one of the club's best players, but they need more options in the middle of the park.

Marcus McGuane has had his contract extended by a further year, with the U's activating this option.

Josh McEachran isn't guaranteed to remain at the club though with the player still in contract talks - and even if he is retained - the player is unlikely to be a regular starter at the Kassam Stadium next season.

With this in mind, Vaulks could be a good addition at Oxford, with the player looking set to arrive on a free transfer with his contract at Hillsborough expiring at the end of this month.

Just a few days ago, the Sheffield Star reported that Wednesday and Vaulks weren't close to striking a fresh contract agreement despite talks being held.

And this has allowed the U's to swoop in.

Oxford United could benefit from strengthening their midfield with Will Vaulks

Vaulks has plenty of second-tier experience under his belt and this is a key reason why Oxford would benefit from bringing him in.

He's exactly the sort of player that the U's should be looking to recruit in their quest to keep themselves in the second tier.

He knows what it takes to survive at this level after seeing his team turn things around under Danny Rohl - and that will be useful experience for Buckingham's side.

At 30, he's not someone who will be sold on for a huge amount in the future, but Vaulks should be a useful figure in the dressing room if he finalises a move to the Kassam Stadium.

And if he signs, that could give Oxford the license to sign some younger players, knowing they have an experienced figure like Vaulks in the squad.