OXFORD United could look to offer key players contracts of up to five years, according to chairman Ian Lenagan.

The U’s opened talks on Thursday with Deane Smalley and Scott Davies, whose deals expire at the end of the month.

Of the other 12 players in next season’s first-team squad, all are entering the final year of their contracts.

Lenagan, who took over as chairman almost 12 months ago, admitted being surprised at how short-term arrangements were in football compared to rugby league side Wigan Warriors, which he also owns.

He said: “I don’t like to make lots of references to Wigan, but there we sign players for three, four or five years.

“Recently, I announced we had signed our top player (Liam Farrell) on a five-year contract.

“We do that as a matter of course, we back our judgement early in terms of people.

“I have found it very strange coming into football and the shortness of the contracts.”

It is something he is looking to replicate at United, starting with the squad’s most prized assets this summer.

“Absolutely, why not? I would sign players for three, four, five years now,” he said.

“The way in which I have always done it is you sign them for three years as a definite and then have an option.

“You put them on deals so that when they can see what the salary would be for years four and five they think ‘I’ll sign this’.

“That’s the way we would do it, but there’s a limit to how much you can change in a short period of time.”

While that could mean good news for the likes of skipper Jake Wright and goalkeeper Ryan Clarke, the club have already hinted the policy will extend to the squad’s most promising young players.

Bringing through talent from United’s youth system is key to Lenagan’s plans.

When announcing 12-month options on goalkeeper Max Crocombe and striker Tyrone Marsh, both 19, had been taken up, the U’s stated they were intending to discuss longer-term deals this summer to tie both players to the club.