REPORTED Swindon Town target Sam Baldock has signed for the club's bitter rivals Oxford United until the end of the season.

Free-agent Baldock was linked with potentially joining Ben Garner's squad on deadline day after leaving Championship strugglers Derby County earlier in January.

However, the deal is thought to have skidded to a halt due to financial reasons.

Linked with Portsmouth and Oldham as well as Town, Baldock ended up joining a club in which he has family ties. One brother, George, played for the U's and made himself a fan favourite while other sibling James is the club doctor.

The Buckingham-born forward attended games at the Manor Ground as a youngster and told reporters his mind was made up once interest from Oxford arose.

Speaking to the Oxford Mail, Baldock said: “There were a couple of teams sniffing around and a couple of offers on the table.

“But when there was interest from here, with where I’m from and the history, it was a tough one to turn down.”

The 32-year-old briefly trained with Oxford before his August move to Derby, where he scored twice in 14 games.

He has bagged more than 100 Football League goals for the likes of Bristol City, Brighton & Hove Albion and Milton Keynes Dons, playing under Karl Robinson at the latter.

Baldock came through the youth ranks at Stadium:MK and found the net 43 times in 124 appearances, earning him a £2.2million move to West Ham United in summer 2011.

After a year at Upton Park he switched to Bristol City and scored 24 goals in 2013/14 to claim the League One Golden Boot.

It earned Baldock a move back to the Championship with Brighton, where he spent four years.

He scored 20 goals in 94 games to help the Seagulls win promotion to the Premier League in 2016/17, although he made just two substitute appearances in the top flight.

Baldock joined Reading in summer 2018, finding the net 11 times in 74 matches before his release last summer.