ON any other day, news that Josh Payne had joined Aldershot on loan and Adam Chapman was training with Mansfield would have been back page news.

But instead, the only transfer talk that interested Oxford United fans yesterday was that of striker James Constable.

Payne, who has made three starts and six substitute apperances for the U’s this season, has agreed a one-month loan spell with the Shots.

And Chapman is effectively on trial with Blue Square Bet Premier side Mansfield with the view to a loan move.

However, as soon as it became public that Swindon wanted to sign United’s talismanic striker, there was only going to be one transfer story on the lips of fans.

Boss Chris Wilder said that he wasn’t surprised that one of his leading lights had attracted interest from elsewhere.

But while he didn’t directly say it, he was clearly slighty annoyed that once again a transfer story involving Swindon had become public knowledge.

Only last week Gillingham boss Andy Hessenthaler publicly declared his anger that an offer from Swindon for Luke Rooney was made public.

“As always, you would like to live in a world where you feel these things can be done confidentially, but it always seems to get out,” Wilder said.

“But these things happen, so we will deal with it in a professional way, like we feel we have dealt with everything in the past.”

He added: “What will be will be, but it’s a bit irritating when people talk about the financial aspect here because we run this club right financially.

“There are two or three clubs who are turning down ridiculous bids.

“I have been told that a certain club in our league has turned down a bid of £700,000 for one of their players and Swindon have rejected an offer of £500,000 for Matt Ritchie, which is common knowledge, so some clubs are at a different level to us.”

A move to Swindon for a high-profile Oxford player will always be deemed controversial among U’s supporters.

But Wilder says that from a club’s perspective, you have to try and remove yourself from the emotive aspect of a transfer – however difficult it is “I don’t think you can discriminate against any club,” he said.

“I know they are the local rivals, but there has always got to be emotion taken out of the equation.

“You have to make a sensible decision that involves everybody – the player, but most importantly, the club.”

He added: “However much people don’t like to hear it, the club is not in a position to turn down good money for players.

“But having said that, we certainly will not let any players leave here on the cheap.”