Championship rivals showed more desire to sign Sheffield Wednesday midfielder

The Owls midfielder, who will now join the U’s on July 1st, was offered a deal to stay at Hillsborough after winning the Player of the Season award and playing a huge role in their Championship survival, however the terms of it weren’t deemed up to scratch.

It’s understood that Oxford were keen to show their commitment to getting him on board by putting a lengthy three-year deal on the table, and the length of the deal – on top of his interactions with the club – offered played a big role in his decision.

Despite only being at S6 for two seasons, Vaulks has made almost 100 appearances in blue and white, and was vital in both their promotion and survival campaigns under Darren Moore – who signed him – and then Danny Röhl. He wasn’t looking to leave, it’s believed, however it appears that the Owls didn’t match Oxford’s ambition when it came to having him on their books in 2024/25.

In the announcement of his arrival, United’s Head of Recruitment, Ed Waldron, told their website, “Will is a player that we have followed for some time, and we are delighted to add him to our group for this Championship campaign.

“He’s a player who has shown for several years that he is a consistent performer at this level, and we worked extremely hard to ensure we could bring him into this exciting group which we are building.

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“We are looking forward to seeing Will in a United shirt and we believe he will be an important character and player who can make a real impact over his time in Oxford.”

Wednesdayites have posted lots of messages across social media after the news was announced, thanking Vaulks for his work in an Owls shirt, and no doubt he’ll get a warm reception at Hillsborough in a few months’ time when he returns to his old stomping ground wearing the colours of a different team.