OXFORD United director Anindya Bakrie is aiming to complete the purchase of a majority stake in the club before the end of the transfer window.

Earlier this year, the board member made an offer to buy a minimum holding of 51 per cent alongside business partner and former U’s director, Erick Thohir.

In March, the Indonesian consortium said it hoped to have the deal wrapped up ‘in the coming weeks’, but the process has proved slower than that.

Board members have declined to comment publicly on the state of play until now, eight days before the start of the Sky Bet League One season.

And Bakrie revealed he wants the deal completed by the time the summer transfer window ends on August 31.

“I think that should be the intention,” he told BBC Oxford.

“I’ve seen some of the transfers in and out and we can work with the team to elevate it to the next level.

“Me and Erick, we are here to support and we are honoured to be a part of Oxford United.

“It is something we are very happy to take on, but at the right time I’m sure the club will make an announcement.”

Bakrie is believed to be in the UK and posted a series of photos from the U's training ground on social media this morning.

The pictures show the businessman with United staff, including head coach Karl Robinson.

It is understood the deal would see Bakrie and Thohir each take a 25.5 per cent stake and a sale and purchase agreement has been drafted.

That would see the consortium gain outright control from U’s chairman Sumrith ‘Tiger’ Thanakarnjanasuth, who currently holds the largest number of shares.

Days before the consortium’s bid was announced in March, Robinson revealed he wanted to make United a ‘top-30 club in England’ in the next five years.

Bakrie, 46, struck a similarly positive tone.

He said: “The intention to participate more is only to improve the brand and the performance of the club going forward.

“We were very happy to be invited to join forces.

"In Oxford, the good days are yet to come and we hope we can be a part of it.

“We believe the board has to do what the board has to do.

“We’re going to make some very simple but clear metrics in running the show and let people have their responsibility, but also we support them with the resources that are needed.”

Bakrie and Thohir have previously run a television network in Indonesia and they joined the U’s board within six months of each other.

Thohir was appointed in November 2018, but stepped down 11 months later after becoming ‘state-owned enterprises minister’ in the Indonesian government.

He owned Italian giants Inter Milan from 2013 to 2019 and was previously majority shareholder at DC United in America.

Bakrie has been a U’s director since April 2019.

He sits on the board alongside Hong-Kong based German businessman Horst Geicke and Tiger, who took over from Darryl Eales as United owner in February 2018.

When asked whether United’s chairman would still be involved, Bakrie said: “This group of investors are friends, who believe in Oxford United’s potential and building a community for Oxford.

“The role of the board will never change in terms of the objectives.

“We’re also still a part of the club and I think the success will be done primarily by the manager, the squad and the hard-working team members and also the management team that we support.

“We own a stakehold and we want to support the team so they can do better.”