Oxford United are set to name Mumbai City boss Des Buckingham as their new manager, reporter Tom Barclay has said on X.
Oxford United have been on the hunt for a new boss since losing Liam Manning to Championship side Bristol City. Plenty of names have been linked with the vacant post at the Kassam Stadium but a report from the Witney Gazette said on Wednesday that the U’s were closing out a compensation agreement for their new manager.
38-year-old Buckingham has been mentioned as a contender for the vacant job since Manning’s exit and now, it seems he’s set to take up the role with the League One promotion hopes.
Reporting on X, The Sun reporter Tom Barclay has claimed that Buckingham is set to be appointed as the new Oxford United boss. He joins from Mumbai City, who the U’s have agreed a ‘pretty hefty’ compensation package with.
Oxford are set to appoint Des Buckingham as their new manager, taking him from Mumbai City via a pretty hefty compensation package
— Tom Barclay (@TomBarclay_) November 16, 2023
An ideal appointment?
Oxford United are a club looking to push onwards in the coming years and a move for a boss like Buckingham is a mark of their ambitions. He’s been in charge of Mumbai City since 2021 and has been a big success in India after hold various coaching roles prior.
As a manager of a City Group side, he’s clearly a highly-regarded coach and the sizeable compensation fee shows just how much the U’s wanted to bring him to the Kassam Stadium.
Buckingham is Oxford-born and held a role as the club’s U18s boss for 10 years at the start of his career in the dugout. He’s since held roles in the New Zealand setup amongst others but now, he looks poised for a return to Oxford United.
