West Ham youngster Reece Oxford made his first start for Borussia Monchengladbach on Tuesday night, fuelling rumours he is set to join the German club on a permanent basis.
The teenager joined the Bundesliga outfit on a season-long loan deal during the summer, and his lack of game time had led to speculation he could return to East London after the New Year.
‘Gladbach have since revealed they are happy with Oxford’s progress however, and having now handed him his first start for the club, it seems they are looking to keep hold of the young defender.
Oxford impressed on his first team debut despite losing 1-0 to Freiburg, boasting a tackle success rate of 63% – a feat only team mate Matthias Ginter could better.
It is thought the Hammers would be willing to part ways with Oxford for a fee of around £6 million in January, with the money being used to help David Moyes strengthen his squad elsewhere.
