Exclusive: Oxford Utd join Luton Town, Wycombe in Bolton Wanderers transfer race | OneFootball

Oxford United have joined Luton Town and Wycombe Wanderers in the chase for Bolton Wanderers' Aaron Morley, Football League World understands

Luton Town and Wycombe Wanderers are both looking to complete a transfer swoop on League One rivals Bolton Wanderers in the remainder of this month's transfer window, while Matt Bloomfield's Oxford United have now joined the race as they bid to survive in the Championship for another season.

Luton and Wycombe will have begun the campaign with contrasting ambitions, with the former under the stewardship of Bloomfield following their second successive relegation back down to League One. Both sides now have different faces in the dugout, however, and both Jack Wilshere and Michael Duff will be looking to guide their respective sides into the third-tier play-offs, and such ambitions would be boosted by strong activity in the January window.

Oxford, meanwhile, are facing a battle to stave off relegation from the Championship, currently positioned in 23rd place.

The U's, who are yet to lose under the ex-Luton and Chairboys boss from his opening two matches, are five points shy of Portsmouth in 21st at the time of writing and survival is beginning to feel like something of a tall order at the Kassam Stadium, though they have been busy at work this month by acquiring the likes of Jamie McDonnell, Brentford pair Yunus Emre Konak and Myles Peart-Harris and Tottenham Hotspur playmaker Jamie Donley - the latter of which was first revealed exclusively by Football League World.

Now, as the January window rumbles on, FLW has learned of yet another player who could be on his way to Oxfordshire - if Bloomfield can beat two of his former sides to the deal...

Oxford United join Luton Town, Wycombe Wanderers in transfer race for Bolton Wanderers' Aaron Morley

Football League World understands that the player in question is Bolton Wanderers' Aaron Morley, with sources exclusively disclosing fresh interest from Oxford in the central midfielder's services.

Morley, of course, spent an impressive first-half of the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Wycombe before being recalled to aid Bolton's ultimately unsuccessful play-off charge under Steven Schumacher, and a report from the Bucks Free Press at the start of the month revealed the Chairboys' interest in bringing him back to Adams' Park, while Luton reportedly saw bids rejected last summer.

However, FLW has learned that the League One play-off hopefuls will now face significant competition in their efforts to reunite with Morley, with Oxford looking to make their moves in the latter stages of the window.

The 25-year-old is said to be available for a price of £500,000, having slipped down the pecking order at the Toughsheet Community Stadium in recent times.

Aaron Morley has lost his way at Bolton Wanderers amid Luton Town, Oxford United and Wycombe Wanderers interest

Morley has endured something of a whirlwind career with Bolton, where he started off as a regular during his first two-and-a-half seasons - with his role in successive top-six finishes in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns marking particular high points for the midfielder following his January 2022 switch from Rochdale - before losing his way and becoming a more peripherial member of the squad.

The midfielder impressed upon his return from Wycombe last term by registering four goals and three assists in just 19 appearances, but has since been usurped by summer signing Xavier Simons.

Just seven of Morley's 18 League One outings this time around have been starts, as he's instead found action easier to come by in cup competitions, and there has been talk of him departing the club permanently for some time.

It would perhaps be in the best interests of Morley, then, who has proven himself to be one of the classiest midfield operators in League One at his best, to explore potential destinations before the window slams shut, and he could even shoot his shot in the Championship if Oxford can get a deal over the line.