Oxford United will have lingering regret over Brentford transfer timing | OneFootball

Brentford snapped up Oxford United star youngster ready for the Premier League at a bargain price

Oxford United sold Shandon Baptiste as part of a deal to Brentford that seems like a bargain in hindsight.

Baptiste broke through into the Oxford first team through the youth setup, and very quickly became one of the standout midfielders in League One, not just United.

In his final season at the club, Baptiste helped United to some famous wins over the likes of West Ham and Sunderland, which earned them a match against Manchester City in the League Cup quarter-final.

United also went on to finish the season fourth, and reach the play-off final.

Shandon Baptiste became Oxford's best player two years after his professional debut

The midfielder made his debut for Oxford in the EFL Trophy, back in 2017. After his second appearance, Baptiste was loaned out to Hampton & Richmond Borough for a month, which ended up being extended until the end of the season.

The current Luton Town midfielder helped Borough reach the National League South play-off final, before losing out to Braintree on penalties.

After returning to Oxfordshire for the 2018/19 season, Baptiste became a regular in the first team quickly. The 27-year-old started most games, and showed a real bright spark, which fans noticed quickly.

The club noticed it as well, and rewarded the Granada native with a four-year contract.

An ACL injury in the FA Cup third round ended his season short, a devastating blow for the club and the player. Ironically, it was against Brentford when Baptiste tore his ACL, the team that would eventually sign him only a year later.

The academy graduate came back stronger in the 2019/20 season, once again featuring in almost every game, and playing an integral part.

His class was clear to see. He had an elegance on the ball that other players didn't seem to possess.

His goal against West Ham in the League Cup is a perfect example of that. Baptiste's goal was the fourth in a 4-0 win over the Hammers, which many believe was what shone a light on how good this young man could be.

Brentford signed Baptiste as part of a deal Oxford couldn't turn down

By the time the January transfer window came around, Brentford had their eye on not one, but two of Oxford's top players.

Tariqe Fosu was signed by manager Karl Robinson, who brought the winger with him when he left Charlton Athletic for Oxford.

Fosu had been brilliant for Oxford, and was one of the first names on the team sheet each week. The Ghanaian international made a big impression on the club, considering he was only in Oxfordshire for less than 12 months.

Brentford, who were in the Championship at the time, paid the £750,000 release clause for Fosu, along with a fee for Baptiste, for a deal said to be worth around £3 million, as reported by the Oxford Mail.

Five years ago, this was a huge amount of money for Oxford. It still is today, but not quite as big as it was back then for an Oxford side who were looking for promotion to the Championship.

It's the kind of money that lower league sides rarely get the opportunity to see, and as a result, is hard to turn down.

There will have undoubtedly been clauses in Baptiste's contract, earning United a percentage of any sell-on fee, or achievements such as promotion to the Premier League etc. These would've played a factor, especially given the midfielder was only 21-years-old when he moved to the Bees.

Oxford's season could've ended differently if Baptiste had stayed

United were having a fantastic season under Robinson, and were pushing for automatic promotion. If the U's had managed to convince the youngster to stay until at least the summer, United may have found themselves in the same division as Brentford.

With the season halted in March due to Covid-19, Oxford earned a spot in the play-offs as a result of the points-per-game rule. United lost to Wycombe Wanderers in the final, but who knows what the outcome would've been with Baptiste available for the U's.

This brings with it either the possibility of the midfielder staying at Oxford, or commanding a bigger fee for the player.

With rumors circulating of Tyler Goodrham, another product of the Oxford academy, being valued far higher than the fee Brentford paid, who knows what United could've sold Baptiste for if things had gone differently.

Things have worked out for both parties in the long term. Oxford finally managed to make it back to the Championship, and Baptiste went on to play in the Premier League with Brentford.

But with the midfielder now well into his twenties, and playing for a Luton side who could be heading for relegation to League One, Oxford may well look at bringing Baptiste home in a real full circle story.