Oxford United plotting move to sign 24-year-old striker - They face several hurdles though | OneFootball

The U's are on the look out for a new goalscoring option.

Oxford United have set their sights on a new striker target, but face competition from other clubs in Europe.

Finding the back of the net was one of the faults of Gary Rowett's side last time out. The grit, efficiency and defensive solidity that he instilled in the Yellows didn't have much of a positive effect on their forwards, who struggled to get themselves into strong positions to beat the opponent's goalkeeper.

Greg Leigh - a left-back - was Oxford's joint-leading scorer in the Championship last term with six goals, alongside Welsh number nine Mark Harris. The former Cardiff City attacker underperformed his expected goals by 1.33, according to Sofascore.

Offering more of a threat going forward will help them to prove wrong the many people that believe the second-season syndrome is going to hit them next time out. They are searching in the striker market, and have found an option that they are interested in.

Oxford United target 24-year-old Slovenian striker

Nik Prelec, a Slovenian centre-forward who plays for the Italian outfit Cagliari, is a player that they hold concrete interest in, according to Florian Plettenberg.

The 24-year-old former Sampdoria striker was bought by Cagliari in January 2023 but struggled to find his feet at his new Italian home, and has spent the last two campaigns out on loan in Austria. The 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns saw him net eight and six goals for WSG Tirol and Austria Wien, respectively.

Prelec, who stands at six-foot-two, is being looked at by more clubs than just Oxford. Plettenberg has said that "several" teams are keen on signing the Slovenian this summer. Bundelisga 2 outfit FC Magdeburg will be the Yellows' strongest rivals in this race for the centre-forward, as per the German journalist's report.

He has just under two years left on his deal with Cagliari, but, based on his recent history, Oxford could look to pursue a temporary move for Prelec. It's currently not clear whether his parent club are looking to sell him or whether they'd be willing to let him leave on loan again.

Nik Prelec has shown signs of being an effective number nine

The left-footer hasn't got an outstanding record as a goalscorer of late, but that ability is there within him. In the half-season before Cagliari made the plunge to sign him, Prelec, then a permanent member of Tirol, scored six goals in 13 Austrian Bundesliga appearances to start off the 2022/23 campaign.

Despite his size, the 24-year-old isn't a major aerial threat in the box, having scored just two headers over the past couple of league campaigns. But, in the more direct fashion that Rowett gets his teams to play, they could certainly use someone of Prelec's physical stature to their advantage.