OPINION
At this point there will be many West Ham United fans eager for frustrating youngster Reece Oxford to move on, but there must also be a sense of what might have been.
Football Insider reported on Thursday that the 6ft 2in Englishman [Source: Transfermarkt] is close to quitting the Hammers on a permanent basis having agreed personal terms with loan club Augsburg.
After a tricky start in Germany, the 20-year-old has come on a lot of late and has clearly done enough to convince Martin Schmidt and co. that he’s worthy of bringing in on a full time basis.
While Oxford has long been consigned to the box labelled ‘waste of potential’ at West Ham, it’s still frustrating to see such a talented youngster seemingly go by the wayside. He only has himself to blame, of course, but nonetheless it’s incredible how far the versatile player has fallen.
He was supposed to be the next big thing in east London, having mopped up the plaudits for his performance against Arsenal all those years ago. However, he never really kicked on amidst concerns over his attitude.
If he couldn’t convince manager Manuel Pellegrini that he wasn’t worth a shot this season, who has shown a demonstrable willingness to place his trust in youth, then he simply wasn’t going to make the grade at the London Stadium.
That’s a shame, of course, because he’s always been a wonderfully talented footballer. He has the ability, but it’s clear that his head’s just not screwed on right. That’s why he’s going to be playing for Augsburg, rather than a top Premier League team like it appeared he would do a few years ago.
Still, despite many fans likely mulling what might have been, the overriding sense will be of relief that the club are finally washing their hands of one of their biggest disappointments of recent years.
