Regular England youth international and current West Ham United player, Reece Oxford who rose to prominence after an impressive debut season has recently become the centre of attention of both the Manchester clubs. The 17-year-old has been regarded as one of the brightest prospects in the Premier League and is considered to have a very bright future ahead of him.
It is believed Manchester City tabled a formal bid of around £10million during the summer transfer window, as per reports in Express Sport. According to the Mirror, Mourinho has also shown some interest in the player and had dispatched scouts to watch him play in the U-19 European Championships.
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The youngster is yet to sign a new contract with West Ham and his current deal expires in June 2018. He remains the youngest player to make his debut for West Ham having been let go by Tottenham Hotspur academy in 2011. Oxford who rose to prominence with an eye-catching display against Arsenal last season went on to make a further 7 appearances with 4 of them as substitutes.
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A review of his stats on the Premier League website reflects a 63% success rate when it comes to tackles but it is his presence and positioning that has attracted the attention of the Manchester Clubs. The youngster’s performances have been mature and this is something clubs the size of the Manchester giants look for.
Oxford would also satisfy the criteria of home-grown English player’s quota. In essence, the transfer will be a win-win situation for any of the clubs looking to prise him away from the Olympic stadium.
He plays in the central defensive midfield position for the Hammers, though, he is more of a ball-playing midfielder. Bilic though has used the youngster’s ability to distribute intelligently thus allowing the team to begin the play from the back. His calm demeanour with his intelligent use of space is what has made him stand out in recent times.
Recently, the youngster signed a lucrative deal with Nike, the sportswear giants which will net the youngster a significant amount of revenue and will also push him into the top bracket of high profile young sportsmen.
Despite wanting to tie him down to a long-term deal, West Ham have hit a wall in negotiations with the youngster. If Oxford decides to leave on a free transfer, it will be a massive loss for the Hammers.
