Reece Oxford is set to join Bundesliga club Borussia Monchengladbach on a shock season-long loan from West Ham, according to the Mirror.
The British newspaper claim that the Premier League club have given the green light for highly rated Oxford, 18, to spend the 2017-18 campaign at the German club.
It is said that the teenager is headed to the Bundesliga because West Ham are convinced it can help him take his game to the next level following a season in which he stalled.
Oxford made just seven senior appearances in 2016-17 at West Ham and Reading, where he spent the second half of the campaign on loan.
But the England Under-20 international could barely get a look-in at the play-off finalists and made just five league appearances before heading back to his parent club.
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic is a big admirer of the versatile Oxford, who can play either in central midfield or at centre-back, and has given the go ahead for him to make what amounts to a highly unusual loan move.
Young prospects at the Premier League’s leading clubs almost universally go out on loan to other English outfits, often in the lower leagues where they can be closely monitored.
West Ham appear to have come up with an alternative plan for the classy Oxford.
Mochengladbach are a well established Bundesliga club and finished the recent season ninth in the top flight.