OPINION
West Ham co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan are surely seeing pound signs after hearing Oxford United boss Karl Robinson’s remarks on Marcus Browne.
The Oxford United manager shared he would love to have the Hammers midfielder back at the club, he spent last season on loan with the League One side, and shared that The U’s chairman Sumrith Thanakarnjanasuth had openly told him, whatever Browne’s cost, the club will buy him if he’s available.
Robinson also pointed out that he thought Oxford United wouldn’t be the only club in for him, which suggests a bidding war could soon occur for Browne.
“I’d love him, there’s no getting away from the fact that if he’s available, we’ll pay money for him,” said Robinson, as quoted by the Oxford Mail.
“The chairman has openly said to me ‘whatever it costs, we’ll buy him’.
“But if Marcus Browne was available, we won’t be the only club in for him.
“I think he really felt at home here and I think the fans have a big influence on what he wants to do.”
Football Insider previously reported that Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini was prepared to sanction the permanent sale of Browne, so it seems likely Gold and Sullivan will be able to cash in on the playmaker without upsetting the club’s manager.
Browne has only ever featured once for the Hammers’ first-team, but his value is likely at an all-time high after an impressive loan spell at Oxford United in his 2018/19 campaign.
The 21-year-old attacking midfielder featured 44 times across all competitions, scoring nine goals while assisting five in his outings.
Browne averaged a goal every 308 minutes across his latest campaign, which is impressive for a midfielder that played for a side which finished in mid-table. (Source: BBC Sport)
So it’s likely Robinson is right to imply that there will be many teams in the hunt for Browne this summer, which means the Hammers could sell him for a worthwhile fee.
Also when you consider Oxford’s chairman is already willing to open his chequebook after clearly being impressed by the playmaker last season, that raises the stakes before a bid has been lodged.
Gold and Sullivan no doubt were already aware that Browne could be a sellable asset after his latest campaign but hearing that a chairman has told his manager that he is willing to go all out, surely has them dreaming of a lucrative fee.