Oxford placed under summer transfer embargo by EFL

Oxford United have been placed under a temporary transfer embargo by the English Football League, preventing them from making summer signings.

New boss Aaron Ramsey took charge just over a fortnight ago but must now make do with the existing players at his disposal at the relegated side.

The League One club say their focus is on retaining the "extremely competitive squad already in place", adding they are confident the embargo will be lifted by the January window.

Oxford will be unable to register new players in the current window because they are not compliant with the EFL's salary cost management protocol (SCMP) regulations.

SCMPs are the financial fair play rules for all League One and League Two clubs, setting limits on the proportion of a club's turnover and funding that can be spent on player-related costs.

"Following relegation and with rule changes, the club have been working to align their financial position with the reporting requirements of League One," Oxford said in a statement.

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"With a commitment from shareholders to increase investment into Oxford United over the coming months, along with measures to reduce overall costs, the club will be compliant and in a strong position ahead of the January transfer window.

"The club have an extremely competitive squad already in place and the focus this summer will be on retaining those players that give Aaron Ramsey and his staff the strongest group possible to deliver success on the pitch this season."

Oxford are back in League One following two campaigns in the Championship, having been relegated in April and eventually finishing 22nd.

Ramsey was appointed as Oxford's head coach in late June as his first permanent role in football management. He was previously interim boss at Cardiff City.

Oxford, owned by an Indonesia-based group led by businessman Erick Thohir, sacked former boss Matt Bloomfield three days before Ramsey's appointment.

They will get their season under way with a Carabao Cup match at Leyton Orient on 8 August before a league opener at home to MK Dons seven days later.

'Worrying and unsettling' - Oxford supporters' trust

Oxford United's supporters' trust OxVox described the development as "unsettling" at a tough time for the club following last season's relegation.

However, they echoed the club's belief that the embargo would be a short-term issue, rather than a long-term headache.

"It is our understanding this embargo will be lifted as soon as the matter is resolved and that there is no fixed term," OxVox said in a statement.

"We have often praised the owners and board for their continued funding of our club in difficult circumstances but this news is worrying and unsettling at a time when the new manager needs to be focused solely on recruitment and pre-season.

"We are continuing to work hard to bring more details forward and we have managed to pencil in a meeting with our new chairman Dusan Bogdanovic to discuss this and other matters.

"We, as supporters, are the constant that holds this club together and we are pressing the club in the strongest terms to honour the trust placed in them and to protect our club at this vitally important time."

More questions left than answers - analysis

Jerome Sale, BBC Radio Oxford

Let's be clear: this is not good news.

We're used to seeing heat warnings at this time of year, but for supporters who read this and worry about the club's future, this should come with an amber alert attached.

Taken at face value, you can argue the current squad is strong enough to be competitive this season.

The greater concern is the longer-term reputational damage, which could affect confidence in the club as a whole.

There are mitigating factors - a club that has just been relegated, at the same time new regulations have come into force, was always likely to find the compliance process more challenging.

However, this is also a consequence of spending having increased significantly across the club in recent years.

Requiring owners to provide a substantial portion of next year's funding in advance is a significant demand.

However, United's Indonesian backers have consistently been portrayed as both wealthy and willing to invest.

The guidance I've received is that the situation is expected to be resolved over the coming months - even so, United knew these regulations were coming, and many inside and outside the club had been led to believe everything would already be in place.

What must rookie head coach Aaron Ramsey make of this, barely a fortnight into his tenure?

I'm told it's business as usual.

The lights are on, staff were paid on time last week, and the players will head to their training camp in Spain this weekend.

But doubts and concerns will inevitably linger in the minds of players and supporters alike, and those concerns now need to be addressed.