West Brom are “firm favourites” to sign West Ham’s centre-back Reece Oxford, with Middlesbrough and Augsburg also interested, according to the Mirror (live transfer blog, 5.09pm).
This comes after the Telegraph reported that the Augsburg move was in jeopardy over their refusal to add a relegation clause.
Despite the German side having a £4million offer accepted, the Telegraph also claims that Oxford would only cost £2million in the English market.
Oxford is on a reported £20k-a-week at West Ham and stands 6’3″ tall.
OPINION
This would be a bit of a coup for West Brom. Oxford is a centre-back who’s got bags of talent and just needs to find the right club to realise his potential. He played eight times in the Bundesliga for Augsburg and they were happy to pay £4million to get him back but look like losing out on their man because of their refusal to insert a relegation clause in his contract. They only finished four points and one place above the trapdoor last season, so it’s a reasonable request. Their loss could be West Brom’s gain and they seem to have an edge because of Slaven Bilic, the former West Ham manager, who seems poised to take over at the Hawthorns. Sky label them “firm favourites” and at just £2million – half the amount that Augsburg were willing to pay – they could be picking up one of the bargains of the summer.