Oxford United head coach Gary Rowett has warned off Championship clubs interested in signing Tyler Goodrham during the January transfer window.

A Football Insider report suggested Leeds United, Sunderland, Coventry City and Swansea City are all keeping close tabs on the attacking midfielder. The 21-year-old ace has been one of U's top performers this season, bagging three goals and three assists in their battle to avoid the drop.

Rowett says he is relaxed over the speculation linking Goodrham with a move away from the club. He told the Oxford Mail: “You certainly don’t want to sell your best players in the January window. He’s a young player that I’ve been incredibly impressed with.

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“I’ve been incredibly impressed with a lot of his attributes. He’s got areas of his game where I’m surprised how good he is.

“He’s got a real resilience about his game. Sometimes you watch him from afar and you think he’s a technical player who plays in pockets, but he’s a tough so and so, and he plays with a real responsibility that kind of belies his age, as well as the quality.

“It doesn’t surprise me that clubs will look at him, but he’s certainly not a player that we would want to lose at any point, but certainly not at this point in the January window. To me, it’s just speculation, but I understand the speculation because he’s a very good player.”

A new No 10 remains on Daniel Farke's January wish-list. The Whites chief has also hinted he would ideally like to bring in a new centre-back and striker to boost their title aspirations but went into January anticipating a quiet transfer window.

He said: “It’s fair to say that if there is a creative offensive player out there, a bit more like a number 10 then it could be beneficial for our group. We have Brenden who has been excellent, a really key player for us but we don't have a similar player.

"We had Joel Piroe like a loose striker, perhaps one of our wingers could play it interpreting the role slightly different but there is a solution it definitely makes sense to stay awake. In all the other positions we are covered. The only things, I have a bit in my head are the centre-back position and Pascal had an injury CV in the past and sadly Max Wober didn't have the highest availability this season so far. Overall a bit in the striker position, we have two fit strikers and you know how much I rate Patrick Bamford. He's a really good player.

"It would be outstanding to have him available but sadly he's struggled with injuries and will be out for a couple of weeks more. These are more or less the three positions in which we'll stay awake.”