After making some big money acquisitions in the transfer market, West Ham United are set to offload their young defensive ace Reece Oxford. The 19-year-old was the youngest ever player to play for the Hammers as he played his first game when he was just 16. He joined West Ham United at the u-13 level and slowly made his way to the senior team.
Last season, he spent time on loan with Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach, though he made just 7 appearances for them. He represented the East London outfit just once in the Premier League last season. The player made his debut under Slaven Bilic and since his departure, he has found it tough to get anywhere close to the first team. It’s believed that Manuel Pellegrini is looking to sell for a fee of around £10m for the 19-year-old centre back.
When the Hammers offered him his first professional contract four years ago, they had to ward off interest from big clubs like Manchester United and Manchester City. The player hasn’t developed as many expected but given the fact that he is just 19, maybe he can reach his full potential in the next few years.
The Englishman was compared to Rio Ferdinand in his initial days but he still needs to go a long way to have his name taken in the same breath as England’s legendary defensive ace. After signing Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena, Oxford will definitely find it tough to break into the first team and for his overall development, moving away from the Olympic Stadium will be the right decision.
The Hammers had the joint worst defensive record last season which Manuel Pellegrini will be looking to solve ahead of the upcoming campaign. A lot will be expected out of the Chilean manager given the body of work he has done previously.
Modern day football is absolutely ruthless and the manager is way too much under pressure to give a young player a go in the first eleven. The fans and the board are often impatient as they want instant results and that does not bode well for young players as they often have to leave the club even before they are given a fair share of opportunities in the first team.
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Given the potential and age, he still can take his game to the next level and maybe at some other club, he can establish himself into a future star.
