Oxford United should target double Ipswich Town transfer swoop: View | OneFootball

Ali Al-Hamadi and Elkan Baggott could address areas that the U's need to be looking to strengthen in the coming weeks.

Championship new boys Oxford United are in fairly good shape ahead of the new season.

The U's have been very productive during the summer transfer window - and that productivity has been needed with Des Buckingham needing several additions to give his side the best chance of remaining in the second tier for the long term.

They haven't used the loan market a huge amount though, which should give them the room to bring in some temporary additions during the latter stages of the window.

Jamie Cumming, who was on loan at the Kassam Stadium last term, has joined permanently and Matt Ingram has also arrived. With this in mind, it looks as though their goalkeeping department is sorted for the season, unless there's a big injury or two.

Their full-back situation also looks to be sorted, with Joe Bennett and Greg Leigh on one side and Peter Kioso and Sean Long on the other. Kioso dealt with Kamaldeen Sulemana fairly well in a recent pre-season game against Southampton, which is a promising sign for Buckingham.

In midfield, Will Vaulks has arrived to provide more second-tier experience and depth, and former Ipswich Town man Idris El-Mizouni looks to be a very shrewd addition considering how much potential he has.

Even if fellow summer addition Louie Sibley doesn't operate in a central area, the U's already look to have a decent number of central midfield options and they have also added plenty of quality to their wing department, something that was much-needed after Josh Murphy's departure.

Malcolm Ebiowei and Matt Phillips could make a real difference during the upcoming campaign - and it will be fascinating to see both in action.

So far, the summer window has been a real success for Buckingham's men, but there are still a couple of areas that they should be looking to address and they could look to raid Ipswich again for solutions.

Oxford United should continue Ali Al-Hamadi pursuit

Ali-Al Hamadi is a player that the U's were linked with earlier in the window - and they should continue to pursue him.

The Iraq international is a player who has a high ceiling and won't be short of motivation to do well if he goes out on loan - because he will have a point to prove to Kieran McKenna.

He may only have a limited amount of experience in the Championship, but he has made a fairly good impression at Portman Road and could be a real livewire for Oxford if they can get a deal over the line for him.

The U's are in need of strengthening their forward department, even though Mark Harris scored 15 league goals last season and 19 goals in all competitions.

Things didn't always go the Welshman's way last season and with the club limited in terms of striker options, they need a solution.

Al-Hamadi could be an excellent forward option if he comes in - and could be a decent addition.

Elkan Baggott should be on Oxford United's radar

The centre-back department is another area that needs to be looked at.

Elliott Moore and Ciaron Brown may be ready for the second tier, but some of their other options may not be able to step up to the plate yet.

Jordan Thorniley probably won't feature much and James Golding may need to win more senior experience elsewhere before he becomes a first-team asset at the Kassam Stadium.

Two more centre-backs are probably required before the window closes - and Elkan Baggott could be one of those - as a centre-back who has plenty of potential.

Baggott, who has been linked with moves to Derby County and Wycombe Wanderers this summer, knows that Moore and Brown could regularly start ahead of him if he doesn't perform well for the U's.

The Indonesia international hasn't been linked with the U's yet, but Oxford should be looking to take an interest in him.

The club has plenty of loan spots to fill and they won't want to spend big, so striking a cheap loan deal for the 21-year-old would be a good option if the Tractor Boys are willing to let him go temporarily.