De Keersmaecker arrived at the Kassam Stadium from Heracles ahead of the 2025-26 Championship campaign, at which point he received major plaudits from Head of Football Operations, Ed Waldron, who said: “Brian is a major step forward for the Club. We’ve paid a significant fee to acquire Brian, which shows the level of backing and support from our shareholders.
“Brian is a player of the highest quality. We are all delighted that he’s joining us and excited to see him in action.”
Despite breaking the bank to sign the midfielder, the U's were unable to avoid relegation from the Championship. That said, their summer signing still managed to impress on a personal level.
The 26-year-old only played 26 Championship matches, but he was Oxford's best playmaker, grabbing five assists, and creating 37 chances, the highest number in the squad.
However, throughout his career, the Belgian has regularly been deployed in a defensive role, as he also flourishes when it comes to winning back possession, averaging 5.9 recoveries per 90 in the Championship last season.
Even though Oxford will be playing League One football next season, the former Heracles man may deserve another chance to test himself in the Championship, and he could be presented with the opportunity to do exactly that.
QPR and Blackburn come forward to sign Brian De Keersmaecker
According to a report from Football Insider, QPR and Blackburn have now made approaches to sign De Keersmaecker, who wants to leave Oxford following their relegation to the third tier.
The U's know it will be difficult to retain the central midfielder's services, with clubs from the Serie A and Bundesliga also keen.
Why QPR and Blackburn need to sign Brian De Keersmaecker
QPR
QPR slumped to a 15th-place finish last term, after losing their final four matches of the campaign. Since then, Isaac Hayden has moved to Leyton Orient, while fellow midfielder Sam Field has joined Norwich City in a permanent deal. Consequently, Julien Stephan will need to improve his options in the middle of the park this summer, and the Oxford United star has proven he is more than comfortable at Championship level.
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Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn only finished five points above Oxford United in the Championship last season, in what was a very disappointing campaign, and a lack of goals was a real problem. The Rovers found the net just 42 times in the second tier, which was the second-lowest number in the division. As such, Tony Mowbray could do with a player capable of making things happen in the final third, and De Keersmaecker's assist tally from last season suggests he could be a difference-maker.
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Tony Mowbray opens up on Blackburn's transfer plans
Following discussions with the recruitment team, Mowbray has suggested Blackburn might not need to make too many additions to the squad this summer, as last season's poor finish was partly down to injuries.
The 62-year-old said: "I have been speaking to Rudy (Gestede), Suhail (Pasha) and Adam (Owen). "Their belief is that we have a good squad but they hit some pretty critical injuries last year in pretty critical positions on the pitch.
"If we can keep them fit, they think we'll have a better season. I can obviously try to sprinkle some magic dust on some of them and improve them."
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