West Ham defender Reece Oxford is reportedly set to complete a £3million permanent move to Bundesliga side Augsburg, according to a report from the Daily Mail.
The newspaper reports that the 20-year-old, who has spent time on loan with Augsburg in the second half of the season, is close to agreeing personal terms with the Bundesliga side ahead of signing a permanent contract with the club.
Oxford became the youngest ever Premier League player for West Ham when he made his debut against Arsenal at the age of 16 in 2015, but now looks set to depart the London Stadium with his move to Augsburg thought to be set to be confirmed when the German transfer window opens at the beginning of July.
OPINION
Oxford’s permanent move to Augsburg looks increasingly likely to be a matter of when rather than if, and it will be interesting to see how the 20-year-old manages to perform in the Bundesliga with the German club next season. The defender has been out of Manuel Pellegrini’s plans this summer, after returning to the Hammers last summer following a loan spell at Borussia Monchengladbach last season. However, he was unable to convince Pellegrini that he could force his way into West Ham’s starting line-up during the first half of the season, meaning he was allowed to leave on loan to Augsburg in January. That seemed to signal the potential end of his West Ham career and having performed reasonably well for Augsburg since his move in January, making eight appearances for the German club, he is now set to permanently leave the London Stadium. A move away could be the best outcome for both Oxford and West Ham, with the defender now able to re-build his career away from the club and the Hammers receiving a reasonable fee for the 20-year-old.
