OXFORD United remain hopeful of securing two deals before the transfer window closes tonight, but a successful move for Marvin Johnson looks “highly unlikely”.

The Motherwell winger has been U’s boss Michael Appleton’s preferred choice to fill the gap out wide vacated by Callum O’Dowda's exit last month.

Johnson reportedly handed in a transfer request on Monday, but unless the Scottish Premier League club budge on their £1m valuation, Appleton is resigned to looking elsewhere.

“It looks that way,” he said.

“Was I ever that confident? Probably not.

“At the end of the day they have a valuation, we have another and we’re quite a way apart.”

He added: “There’s a couple we’ve been looking at for a while now and they look highly unlikely, so it looks like it will be Plans B, C or D.”

Those now look like loan moves, for both a winger and a left back to provide extra cover for United’s injury-hit defence.

Visit oxfordmail.co.uk/sport for the latest news before the window shuts at 11pm.