RYAN Ledson looks to have played his last game for Oxford United after Preston North End revived their interest in the midfielder.

The 20-year-old will be left out of Karl Robinson’s squad for Saturday’s final game of the season at Blackburn Rovers due to speculation over his future.

And there is a chance of a move to Deepdale, which was postponed from January, being wrapped up in the next few days, although Robinson revealed talk of a deal being done was premature.

United’s manager said: “There’s a high possibility that could happen, but you can never 100 per cent say it’s going to be the case.

“He won’t be involved at the weekend and, if I’m being totally honest, it’s a decision which has gone through the football club in the right way.

“We’ll have to wait and see, but nothing’s been done.”

Preston had two bids for the former Everton apprentice turned down in January, with the second reportedly worth up to a potential £1million when additional clauses were added in.

But United declined to enter negotiations, as they did with interest in Simon Eastwood and Joe Rothwell, from Barnsley and Blackburn Rovers respectively.

The plan was to keep the squad’s assets for the rest of the campaign, with the understanding United would be more open to deals this summer.

Robinson said: “It was a big decision and a good call, because without him we would have been in a much more difficult place.

“It’s great business – we’ve kept our player, we’ve done what we were trying to do by staying in the league and now we can have a conversation.

“We’ve not opened talks yet. If something’s happening it will start very soon obviously and then we’ll go from there.”

Losing Ledson, even for a sizeable fee, would be a shame.

The midfielder is popular with teammates and supporters alike, with the latter voting him as player of the season last weekend.

But Robinson sought to lessen the blow.

“This is a rebuilding process, but I don’t want people to be negative about it,” he said.

“I know people will be disappointed if it happens to be the case, but trust me – I know what I’m doing.

“If people have ambitions elsewhere they are better going elsewhere.

“A Ryan Ledson 100 per cent motivated to be at this club is irreplaceable. At 60 per cent he is replaceable.

“This is not Ryan Ledson’s fault, he’s a diamond. Everyone knows I think the world of him.”

He added: “Where he’s going will be more apparent the closer we get towards Saturday, if he goes.

“We’re not budging (on the price), so it’s a case of getting that right. Don’t ever think we’re an easy push-over, because we’re not.”