CHARLIE Methven has confirmed to the Oxford Mail that his consortium has made a formal offer to Ian Lenagan to take over Oxford United Football Club.

Although he was unable to go into specific details of the bid, Methven said that he would now hope to hold talks with the U’s owner.

“A bid has been lodged,” Methven said.

“The details of that are confidential, but we are clear in our objective which is that we want the best for Oxford United Football Club.

“We believe we have a plan that will enable this to happen.”

He added: “I hope that Ian Lenagan takes our bid very seriously.

“We are not people that will disappear in one, three or five years, we would be in this for the long haul.”

Methven’s bid was given a big boost this morning after Stewart Donald, a big U’s fan and very wealthy businessman, announced he would be backing the consortium.

“I was approached by Charlie Methven about helping them out, and I have agreed to do this,” Donald said.

“I am a huge Oxford United fan and feel that the club are at a critical stage of their future.”

Donald owns Conference South club Eastleigh, but says his involvement in Oxford will have no bearing on that.

“None whatsoever,” he said.

“It does not impact at all. I am fully committed to Eastleigh and I am in the middle of a project there, maybe not even in the middle.

“I cannot own more than ten per cent of another club because of that involvement, so it will have no impact at all.”

Latest United news: