DES Buckingham says Oxford United remain after their first choice attacking targets, and will not chase players for the sake of it in the closing days of the January transfer window.

United’s head coach has made it clear the club is looking to bring in another striker and right-sided winger before the window slams shut at 11pm on Thursday.

Speaking ahead of his side’s clash at home to Sky Bet League One leaders Portsmouth tonight, Buckingham said the U’s will have to be patient if they are to get the players they want.

“We’re trying as much as we can to bring in two more players, a forward and a winger, that’s still the case,” he said.

“We’re working extremely hard, and we’ve done that throughout the window. It can take some time, especially with forwards.

“It can drag on all the way throughout the window, but the targets we’ve gone after are still ready to come, it’s just a case of getting them here.”

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Buckingham added: “We had a shortlist of players that we highlighted, that we wanted to bring in.

“Those players that we’re going after, hopefully we’ll still be able to bring in before this window closes.

“We won’t change tact in that way, and go chasing players for the sake of players. They need to fit what we want to do.

“We need to be a little bit patient right now, which is frustrating for everyone, I understand. It’s frustrating for us, as it is everyone else, but that’s the way it is at the moment.”

Elaborating on the reason for wanting the extra attackers, Buckingham said: “We’ve had to change how we set the team up since Charlton. We’ve spoken about the wingers we’ve lost.

“Marcus Browne, Kyle Edwards and Josh Murphy – that’s a lot of pace to lose out of your team, and then Stan Mills going back after the Coventry game.

“We want a winger that has pace and speed, and the technical qualities to play the way we want to.

“That will inject some further pace to our side, and we’ve seen how effective that can be, in the second half against Bristol Rovers.

“We brought Tyler Burey on, and we saw the difference that he can make.

“The winger will certainly be somebody in that mould, and as for the centre forward, it’ll be someone that can come in and contribute to the goals.

“We’ve brought Will [Goodwin] in, but he’s not going to be right for another week, at least.

“While he finds his feet, I think we need someone to complement the excellent work Mark Harris has been doing for us.”

Asked whether United’s final bits of business could go all the way down to deadline day, Buckingham responded: “It could do, but we’re trying not to. We’re almost at the hands of others.

“It’s a case of making sure we get the right player, and if that goes through to the end of the window, then so be it.”