DARRYL Eales is aiming to convince Chris Maguire his best interests lie in staying with Oxford United and signing a new contract.

Tying the side’s top-scorer down to a new deal is a priority for the U’s chairman, who has also revealed plans to offer fresh terms to key figures John Lundstram, Chey Dunkley and Liam Sercombe.

Maguire is into the final six months of his contract, so can negotiate with clubs now about a free transfer at the end of the season.

The Scot has been a vital player in this campaign for head coach Michael Appleton, notching 11 goals, but despite United publicly saying they are keen to talk about a new deal, Maguire has said he is in no rush.

There is a risk the former Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County player could leave for nothing this summer, but Eales is not tempted to cash in during the January transfer window.

“That’s absolutely a football decision for Michael,” he said.

“My attitude is to try and persuade Chris Maguire that his best interests are best served playing for this club and this manager.

“He will go further in football by staying with Oxford United, rather than trying a chance move to another club.

“I’d like to keep the guy because I like him and I think he has a positive impact off the pitch.”

Maguire is one goal away from matching his best tally for an entire season, most recently for Wednesday in 2013/14.

But while he has spent much of his career with bigger clubs, Eales thinks the former Scotland international has thrived being United’s main man.

He said: “When you’re here you are a big fish in a relatively small pond.

“I think Mags really likes that and when you go to a bigger club it’s much harder.

“The manager who has got the most out of him is Michael.”

He added: “I’ll be doing what I can, but he has to look after his own interests.

“If someone offers him £6,000 per week, we can’t compete with that.”

There is more optimism about securing a new deal for Dunkley, another who would become a free agent in the summer.

And there are also plans to address the next group of players, led by Lundstram and Sercombe, where the U’s have the option of a 12-month extension for the 2017/18 season.

Eales said: “Clearly we want to secure Chey, and put Sercs and Lunny on longer contracts.

“We have an option (on the latter two), but I’d rather tie them down now to secure them.

“I would hope we could solve Chey and the other two as soon as we can.

He added: “There are probably five or six players (to sort) and I think if we can secure those you really do go into next season with a very settled squad.

“I’ve no reason to think we’re not going to secure all those players, with the possible exception of Mags, who I shall work on.”