24-year-old edges closer to Middlesbrough exit

Oxford United are set to confirm the permanent signing of Marcus Browne today according to Football Insider.

Browne has been the subject of a transfer saga in the last week or so, originally looking likely to join Charlton Athletic before the club pulled out of a deal to leave the door ajar for Oxford.

Browne has enjoyed two previous loan spells at the Kassam Stadium and was a key player in the Yellows’ run to the League One play-off final in 2019/20.

The 24-year-old has not played for Middlesbrough since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury midway through last season, but Oxford will be confident of seeing him return to his best form in the coming months.

The West Ham United academy graduate clearly possesses ability well above League One level, however Boro feels like the right club at the wrong club with Chris Wilder’s men on a steep upward trajectory while Browne requires a steady re-integration into first team action.

Oxford sit sixth in League One with a two point cushion inside the play-offs, Karl Robinson’s men look likely to secure a top six finish in the third tier for the third season in a row, with Browne adding to the attacking threat they will have.

The Verdict

This is an excellent piece of business.

There is an element of risk for sure due to the long term injury Browne has suffered since he last played for Oxford.

However, it is evident that when fully firing, Browne is a forward with the potential to play in the upper echelons of the second tier and possibly even the Premier League.

Yellows have been a few players away from mounting a sustained automatic promotion push in recent years and supporters will be enthused by Browne’s addition.

The gap to the top two currently stands at six points, an