OXFORD United are planning to start contract negotiations with James Henry later this month.

The midfielder’s three-year deal expires next summer, with head coach Karl Robinson aiming to finalise fresh terms well before that point.

Henry has proved a vital player for United since arriving in 2017.

He ended the first campaign as joint top scorer with Wes Thomas, before finishing well clear in last season’s standings.

And a double against Gillingham last weekend took him top of the club’s standings again.

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He now has 32 goals for the U’s, the same as Kemar Roofe, which is an impressive return for a midfielder due to make his 100th start for the club at Accrington Stanley tomorrow.

Preliminary discussions took place before the campaign started, with a plan to revisit it in the autumn.

And Robinson admitted the 30-year-old’s case will have been strengthened by his recent form.

The head coach said: “I think it’s important we sit down with Jamo.

“He’s someone I want at the club, I know he wants to be here and his family want him here.

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“Conversations will start.

“We spoke in the summer about a contract and said can we put it off until the end of October and have a conversation then?

“He’s done himself the world of good since then.”