West Ham United defender Reece Oxford could yet complete his protracted move to Borussia Monchengladbach if the Bundesliga club increase their offer to £15million, but the Hammers would be making a grave mistake if that happens.
As reported by The Telegraph, Monchengladbach have already submitted an offer of £8million for the 19-year-old enforcer, but that bid has been rejected by the Hammers.
The Telegraph claim that Oxford’s future will likely be decided after West Ham’s FA Cup third-round replay against Shrewsbury next Tuesday.
Oxford has spent the first half of the season on loan at Monchengladbach, and that deal could reportedly still be resurrected if they are unable to come to an agreement on a permanent deal.
Red Bull Leipzig are also reportedly interested in the 19-year-old, and West Ham seem to be willing to listen to bigger offers for the enforcer.
But that is a serious, serious mistake.
Oxford is still just 19.
At 16 years and 198 days, he became the youngest player to ever turn out for West Ham, starting in a 3-0 Europa League qualifier against Lusitanos.
Just a month later, in August 2015, he became the second-youngest Premier League starter ever as he bossed the midfield in a famous 2-0 win over Arsenal on opening day.
While Oxford has failed to press his claims for a first-team place since then, that does not mean he is not destined for great things.
His loan to Monchengladbach this season shows his growing maturity, with very few English players willing to go abroad in search of first-team football.
And while the six-month spell did not start out as planned, the young enforcer had begun to impose himself at his new club come December.
He had started in each of Monchengladbach’s last three matches before the winter break, before his loan spell was cut short by the Hammers.
Now the Hammers are deciding whether to let him go permanently.
And it seems as though the man in the driving seat with this decision is David Moyes.
A man who has only been handed a six-month contract at the club, who has not been trusted to take charge for longer than half a season.
A man who has no prior connections to the club, and one that has never really seen Oxford play.
How can the club let Moyes make the decision when he could be gone at the end of the season?
They could be letting one of their greatest talents go, for the relatively low price of £15million, at the behest of a man who is seen as a short-term fix.
How could this be allowed to happen?
Yes, West Ham need funds for January signings.
But at the expense of an academy prospect who has been touted as a future star, one that has been at the club for seven years?
Ridiculous.
If Moyes does indeed let Oxford go in January and the 19-year-old blossoms into a top player in Germany, West Ham fans will not remember the Scot for his heroics in saving the club from relegation (possibly).
They will instead remember him for the fact that he let a brilliant young talent go to raise funds for the purchase of some average January signing.
Forget his horrific season at Sunderland, or his decision to go and manage Real Sociedad, this could end up being the greatest mistake of Moyes’ career.