SPECULATION is rife that Oxford United could be the subject of another takeover bid.

Thai businessman Sumrith Thanakarnjanasuth has been pictured in the directors’ box at two separate U’s games, including Saturday’s victory at Peterborough United.

His repeated presence appears significant considering he rarely attended matches when a director of Championship club Reading.

Known as ‘Tiger’, he was part of a consortium that took over the Royals in September 2014.

He bought a 25 per cent stake in the Berkshire side, along with Khunying Sasima Srivikorn, who also purchased a quarter share, and Narin Niruttinanon, who obtained the other half.

However, he resigned as a director after the group sold 75 per cent of the club in May 2017, after citing it had ‘become too expensive to run’.

They do, however, still own the land around the stadium, the location for the proposed Royal Elm Park development.

The Oxford Mail understands discussions have taken place with Darryl Eales, although the United chairman did not wish to comment on rumours of a potential investment.

Interestingly, Thanakarnjanasuth follows just 19 accounts on Twitter – the most recent of which is Oxford United’s official feed.

Uruguayan Juan Sartori made a well-documented bid to buy United in the summer, but his offer was rejected after months of uncertainty.

Eales told a fans’ forum in August the process ‘should never have been played out in public’.

But in May, when asked by the Oxford Mail whether a takeover was on the cards, he replied: “I’m not looking to sell the club, but I’ve said many times if there’s someone interested in taking the club forward with greater resources than I have, then why wouldn’t I talk to them?”