OPINION
West Ham fans should be worried about the latest report on the future of loan youngster Reece Oxford.
According to Football.London, the 20-year-old – who joined Bundesliga side Augsburg on a season-long deal last summer – is close to agreeing terms with the club over a permanent move to Germany.
The football news website adds that Augsburg are willing to meet the £3.4million release clause in his contract but this would represent represent some bad business for West Ham, who could do a lot better trying to sell Oxford to a different club.
While he has not pulled up trees at Augsburg – nor at West Ham in his time there – as a young Englishman with his full career ahead of him, there’s every reason to suggest that the Hammers could get more for the player, perhaps even close to £10million.
With the London Evening Standard reporting that the club have to sell to buy new talents this summer, every penny counts and yet they are seemingly willing to let Oxford go for peanuts – a decision which must have the fans tearing their hair out.
It is clear West Ham do not want him; the club brought in Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena last summer and the duo have nailed down a spot between them in the back four at the club.
With Angelo Ogbonna and Winston Reid for company, there is very little chance of Oxford coming back from Germany and forcing Manuel Pellegrini to change his mind on the player, especially after only making nine appearances for Augsburg.
But that does not mean West Ham should not try to get a better price for the centre-back. There are lots of centre-backs around – the likes of Matthijs de Ligt and Kalidou Koulibaly – who are commanding ridiculous prices which lots of clubs are not prepared to pay, and rightly so.
While Oxford would never – at least not for now – command such a price, West Ham should try and sell the youngster as an investment for the future, someone who could be of the aforementioned duo’s stature.
All in all, Oxford does not have a future at West Ham, but he is certainly worth more than £3.4million based on his age and potential.