KARL Robinson says it is ‘exciting times’ for Oxford United as he spoke out on the club’s ownership for the first time in several months.

The U’s Indonesian investors submitted an offer to buy the majority stake back in March and the deal is currently subject to English Football League (EFL) approval, according to the U’s head coach.

Director Horst Geicke and several associates will attend today’s Sky Bet League One clash with Gillingham and it is understood more shareholders will be at Tuesday’s match against Accrington Stanley.

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Robinson said: “I believe it’s subject to EFL approval, that’s what I’ve been told.

“I speak to them (the board) every week, we have a great relationship.

“They share our ambition. They’ve been here for three years, as long as me.

“It’s really exciting. We have five years to be where we want to be, we know where that is.

“But their plans are not just on the green stuff – that’s the be-all and end-all of what we want to achieve, of course.

“There have been so many other things pushed under the carpet for this football club to succeed for too long.

“We had a conversation over dinner last night and we were talking about the development of the training ground and a disability team, women’s team, men’s team, the academy.

“It was like ‘wow – this is a football club’.

“We speak about being ready, once that’s ready it will slowly start filtering onto the football pitch.

“On the football pitch they’re very ambitious as well.”

The deal would see U’s director Anindya Bakrie and his associates take a 51 per cent stake and gain outright control from chairman Sumrith ‘Tiger’ Thanakarnjanasuth.

In July, Bakrie expressed hope the transaction would be completed by the end of August and it appears closer to a resolution.

Robinson has previously said he would like United to be a ‘top-30 club in England’ within the next five years and feels it is achievable.

He said: “I predict that these people will get this football club to where it wants to get to, I know them well enough to say that.

“There’s nothing going to change, it’s just the percentages will look different.

“There’s a lot of things that go on behind the scenes that we keep internal.

"I was speaking to Tiger for 20 minutes this morning – the relationships have never been so strong.

“I know I don’t need to leave here to go to a Championship club - and there have been chances over the last 12 months.

“I know this will be one at some stage.”

Tiger addressed the issue in his programme notes for today's game, saying: "Off the pitch I also sense a little curiosity from fans because we haven’t been able to update you on the board, for which we apologise.

"I can only be honest about it and say there is nothing much to report back.

"Everyone knows we are talking about how things are structured, and this has been going on since the end of last season.

"We thank you for your patience but to simplify: the people involved are already involved.

"They all have the same passion as I do; all we are doing is finding the best way to make things formal, structured, and working best for the football club.

"It has taken longer than we thought but time is on our side and day to day we work very well together: the board, Karl, Niall (McWilliams, managing director) and all departments."