Argentine midfielder Juan Pablo Raponi is on his way to Oxford United, according to newspapers in Argentina.

The 24-year-old playmaker is set to link up with his former River Plate boss Ramon Diaz at the Kassam Stadium and will probably sign this week.

Raponi belongs to River Plate, and was a product of the Buenos Aires club's academy, but was loaned out to Argentine first division side Olimpo Bahia Blanca last season. He played 11 times for them, scoring once.

The previous season he had played for another Primera A team, Banfield.

It's understood that Oxford will take him on loan until the end of the season, though with an option to buy.

Diaz has decided it is important to act now following United's 3-0 defeat at Lincoln last Saturday, which leaves the U's in 14th place, six points off the play-off places.

Raponi's departure was big news on the sports pages of the Argentine newspapers yesterday, with some of them expressing surprise that he was dropping down to the English fourth division, and stressing he was doing so because he knows Diaz.

Meanwhile, the date of one of United's key end-of-season games has been changed.

The U's visit to Scunthorpe United, who are second in Coca-Cola League Two, has been moved from Easter Saturday to Good Friday, March 25 (7.30pm) because of England's televised World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland at Old Trafford on the Saturday.