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FLW's Oxford United fan pundit has given his verdict on whether a permanent move for Alex Matos should be pursued this summer

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Alex Matos spent last season on loan at Oxford United from Chelsea and helped the club maintain its place in the Championship.

The 20-year-old arrived during the January transfer window, and made 20 league appearances as the team finished 17th in the table.

The midfielder did not contribute a goal or an assist, but earned the support of the fans for his performances under Gary Rowett.

With the season now over, the player will return to Stamford Bridge, where a decision will need to be made over his future as he approaches the end of his contract in 2026.

Alex Matos’ impact at Oxford United

When asked about Matos’ future, FLW’s Oxford fan pundit Luke Nigel claimed that the player ingratiated himself with supporters with how he played for the team.

He highlighted the youngster’s athleticism, suggesting that he was used out of his expected position under Rowett but that he stood out regardless.

“Alex Matos is a loanee that came in January and definitely made an instant impact with the Oxford United fanbase,” Nigel told Football League World.

“He is somebody that featured 20 times since joining in January, oddly playing higher up the pitch in that no.10 role, rather than as one of the deeper centre-midfielders in the double pivot.

“That is a role we’ve seen him take up in the previous season with Huddersfield, and that is the player we thought we were signing.

“However, he was first deployed in the no.10 role by Gary Rowett for one reason, and one reason only, to help us get higher up the pitch and win the ball back in the final third a little bit more.

“Rowett also praised his athleticism, he is a player that can run relentlessly for 90 minutes and that isn’t something that is very common in the group of players we currently have in the Oxford side.”

Alex Matos’ future

Nigel expects any decision over the player’s future to come late in the window, but he would like to see the club push to sign him on a permanent basis.

“I think long-term if we were to try and sign him back, he would feature in that deeper role in the six or the eight, but he just struggled to break that incredible partnership of Cameron Brannagan and Will Boulks in the run-in to the end of the season.

“But, for a loan player, he gave his all in the Oxford shirt and that is all you can ask of.

“I believe he’s got one more year left on his deal at Chelsea, and he’s going to have many, many clubs interested in him.

“I, and many Oxford fans, would love to see Alex Matos return to the Kassam Stadium next year on a permanent deal.

“And I’m sure the recruitment team will be in close contact with him.

“However, I’ll keep an eye on it.

“I think he will probably assess his options and if he were to move away from Chelsea it will be later on in the window.”

Matos proved a valuable addition at Oxford

Matos was a solid addition at Oxford, with his defensive work off the ball in particular standing out.

While he still needs to improve on the ball, he is young enough that this could come with greater experience.

Given he has one year left at Chelsea, a permanent deal this summer is a likely outcome and the U’s should be in the mix to sign him as long as it’s affordable.

He could prove a very useful long-term addition in one of the deeper roles if he can maintain this level of strong defensive output.