Oxford United have just announced Brian Talbot’s first new signing since becoming club manager, as Northampton defender Chris Willmott has penned a two-year deal. Willmott is 27 years old, and was the Cobblers’ captain last season. He is a commanding centre-back and brings experience to a position that Oxford was spectacularly weak in last season.

Willmott played 53 games for Northampton in all competitions last season, and made 102 appearances in total since signing from Wimbledon in June 2003, although he scored just one goal in that time, so he’s no Andy Crosby! He did score twice for the Dons, in 59 games, and he also played 13 games on loan to Luton. Wimbledon paid Luton ?350,000 for Willmott when signing him from Luton, where he started as a trainee.

Meanwhile, Talbot has told Tommy Mooney that he needs to decide whether or not he’s going to sign his contract offer by the end of this week. The former Watford, Birmingham, and Southend striker is the only one of United’s out-of-contract players who was made a new offer who has yet to accept, and obviously Talbot wants to find out if Mooney’s staying in order to complete his team-building plans for next season. Perhaps the signing of Willmott will demonstrate to Mooney that it might be worth sticking around?