Oxford United Want Ben Woodburn Back for 2020-21 Season

When he scored on his Wales debut, Ben Woodburn looked set for stardom, which has perhaps made the three seasons since a bit of a letdown. Still just 20 years old, though, there’s plenty of time for the winger to make his mark.

And if Oxford United, currently in the promotion playoff places in League One, get their wish, Woodburn will be back playing for them next year, with manager Karl Robinson saying the club are talking to Liverpool about the possibility.

“We’d love the opportunity for Ben Woodburn to be back and we want [West Ham loanee] Nathan Holland back with us,” Robinson told the Oxford Mail. “They’re conversations we’re having. We feel it would be right for their careers.

“If we went up we think both of them are Championship players anyway and if we didn’t then we’d have some of the best players in League One. It’s a no-brainer for us and there’s continuity for them, which I think they all want.”

Certainly if Oxford is promoted, a return there for Woodburn would be likely to suit Liverpool’s interests. At the moment, though, there isn’t a great deal of certainty over when, how, or even if League One will be coming back.

League One is currently far from settled, with second-place Rotherham in an automatic promotion place with 62 points while Oxford, Portsmouth, and Fleetwood all have 60 and Peterborough, Sunderland, and Wycombe are on 59.

However things shake out, one of those clubs will be guaranteed promotion, four will enter the playoffs, and two will miss out entirely. Coventry City currently lead the league with a five-point edge on Rotherham.