Premier League

Oxford exit even more likely after Rice deal

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Image for Oxford exit even more likely after Rice deal

OPINION

West Ham youngster Reece Oxford has had a torrid couple of years, with the centre-back failing to break through to the first-team despite showing such promise.

Oxford became the Hammers’ youngest-ever player when he made his debut under Slaven Bilic in 2015, but has struggled to live up to expectations in the ensuing seasons.

The 20-year-old was rewarded for his early promise with a huge £20,000-a-week contract, but that is a decision which the club have come to regret with Oxford having made just 17 first-team appearances.

Now, with the January window approaching, and noises emerging from Oxford himself, it looks like an exit is on the cards for the youngster.

There will be no shortage of interest in the versatile defender, but it seems as though West Ham have reached the end of their tether with the talent, with manager Manuel Pellegrini issuing a warning over his future in November [Evening Standard].

While a January switch is obviously still up in the air, one major development on Friday has illustrated that such an occurrence is likely in the coming window.

That development is Declan Rice signing a new deal, with the 19-year-old penning a contract which commits himself to the club until 2024.

This comes after months of negotiation, with Rice previously rejecting an offer from the club as they refused to meet his wage demands.

The suggestion then was that the club were unwilling to re-enter negotiations with Rice until the end of the season, so for them to turn around and meet his demands suddenly suggests they are about to free up some space on the wage bill.

Oxford’s £20,000-a-week deal [Spotrac] would be a good place for them to start, and with such rampant speculation emerging in recent weeks, it seems as though an exit is now all but certain for the 20-year-old enforcer.

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