Oxford United are hopeful of keeping hold of Derby County loanee George Thorne, but only if the U’s can agree a discount on his current deal with his parent club.
The 27-year-old has missed large parts of the season through injury and has been sidelined since dislocating his shoulder during the win against West Ham United back in September.
The midfielder, who’s loan has now expired, has managed just 62 minutes of football over three games for the U’s.
But because Thorne’s recovery has taken place with the U’s, manager Karl Robinson believes he will stay until the end of the season, but remains hopeful that the Rams can help with his wages.
Robinson told the Oxford Mail: “If it’s a minimal cost one then he’s a tremendous person to have around the building.
“He’s one of the focal points of the squad, one of the jovial, experienced ones. He’s a top player, I think everyone at the club saw in the two games he played he was so unlucky.
“We know it works for him geographically and if Derby want to work with us it would be something we’d probably do, but it would have to be on our terms, rather than theirs.
“We have footed the bill while he’s been injured. It’s nobody’s fault but we’ll have to wait and see.”
Thorne has had an injury-hit career but the U’s boss believes his contribution when fit can help the club push for promotion to the Championship.
He added: “You just don’t know what you might need him for. The longer the season goes on when the legs start tiring and pitches open up and dry out I think it would become apparent he’s a good player and something we would need.
“I think he would be up for it, he loves it here. He’s got the bit between his teeth.
“I’m really big on good people and he fits in really well with the way we want to do things.”
Having already lost Chris Cadden and Oussama Zamouri, the U’s are still yet to bring any new faces to the club but have been strongly linked with Nathan Holland, Liam Kelly and Stephen O’Donnell.
