Des Buckingham, manager of Oxford United, has provided an update on Leeds United loanee Sonny Perkins’ status after the 19-year-old was rejected again on Boxing Day.
Perkins joined the U’s on a season-long loan from the Whites in the summer transfer window, but has struggled to make an impact in League One, making only six appearances in all competitions under both Buckingham and Liam Manning.
The Leeds loanee was not even named to Oxford’s bench for their Boxing Day meeting with Cambridge United, and despite his lack of involvement this season, Buckingham has stated that no talks about a return to Elland Road have taken place.
“We haven’t had that conversation with Sonny,” he stated, according to the Oxford Mail (27 December). He’s still training with us and doing very well.
“He’s just got Sparky [Mark Harris] and Gats [Gatlin O’Donkor] in front of him, and that’s been the situation, so rather than put someone on the bench that we potentially aren’t going to use, we’ll free up a space for a midfielder, to make sure we have cover in those areas.”
Make a new move for him.
For whatever reason, this swap hasn’t worked out as intended with Perkins looking to be a spare part at the Kassam Stadium making only three league appearances this season altogether a pitiful five minutes of action.
The 19-year-old is at best the third-choice forward option for Oxford this season and that seems unlikely to alter anytime soon with Buckingham admitting that he’d rather have a midfielder on the bench rather than the extra attacking option Perkins gives.
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