West Ham attacking midfielder Marcus Browne is in talks over a loan move to League One club Oxford United, according to Football Insider.
The football site claim Oxford lead the race for the signature of Browne, 20, following interest in his services for the 2018-19 campaign from a number of Football League clubs.
Football Insider report that West Ham have high hopes for the attacker and want him to gain crucial senior experience before returning to the London Stadium to challenge for a first-team spot.
Good move for West Ham?
Should Browne gain the first-team experience he badly needs to take the next steps in his development, then, yes, it could be the ideal move for all three parties. The youngster made his senior Irons debut two seasons ago and has demonstrated the pedigree needed to push on and make it as a professional. What West Ham certainly don’t want is for the central attacking midfielder to be on the fringes at the third tier side. They will hope that manager Karl Robinson, who has an excellent track record of nurturing young talent – notably Dele Alli during his MK Dons days – can provide the first-team platform for Browne.
This Is Futbol rating 6/10
Likely to happen?
Football Insider are a reliable source of transfer news and it appears there is a strong likelihood of Browne sealing a season-long loan to the south-east club. But the deal is not yet done, and there is still some work to be completed by all parties before the youngster is paraded by Oxford.
This Is Futbol rating 8/10