KARL Robinson is planning to keep his cards closer to his chest when talking about Oxford United’s transfer targets this summer.

On the face of it, the U’s have made a quiet start to the close season.

Half the break between the end of the last campaign and the start of pre-season has now gone.

While Rob Hall’s agreement to stay will feel like a new signing, the only deals United have got across the line so far have been for teenage defenders Kevin Berkoe and Sam Allardyce.

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With neither having made a senior appearance, they are likely to start out next season in the under 23s.

But the absence of completed deals does not equal a lack of activity behind the scenes.

Robinson spoke freely about several targets last summer as he oversaw a major overhaul of the squad, but the head coach believes it will be different this time around.

He said: “Sometimes it’s great to come out and be bold about who you want to sign.

“Equally, season tickets will have an impact.

“But we’re not going to come out and just say a name to get people excited to buy a ticket.

“We’re very careful with the things that we say.

“When I speak about it it’s because I want it to be out there to maybe ruffle a few feathers.

“This summer I don’t think there’s many cages that need rattling.

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“There’s a calmness to what we have to do and we don’t want to alert teams that we’re massively after their player because they then hold all the cards.”

With the play-off finals only concluding earlier this week, the picture at United is largely mirrored by the rest of Sky Bet League One.

Of their 23 other rivals, Peterborough United (five) and Coventry City (three) account for almost half the division’s total signings so far, while 12 are yet to add to their squads.

When it does come to making additions, the U’s are willing to spend on players who will command a transfer fee.

But it must be seen as an investment in a player they can develop with an eye to making a profit further down the line.

Robinson said: “One thing the chairman (Sumrith Thanakarnjanasuth) is very big on is future value.

“If someone has that in them it will be something we’ll look to do.”