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Nottingham Forest reportedly target Reece Oxford; but he’d be better off at Rangers

Rangers manager Mark Warburton (REUTERS)
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The West Ham United prodigy looked set for a January switch to Rangers but reports suggest that Nottingham Forest could make a late move.

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Nottingham Forest have endured more fan protests than victories this season but, according to the Daily Mail, they could pull off one of the transfer coups of the season by landing West Ham wonderkid Reece Oxford on loan.

The 18-year-old exploded onto the scene with a masterful midfield performance in The Hammers 2-0 victory at the Emirates on the opening day of last season but, since then, his first-team opportunities have been restricted under Slaven Bilic.

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic and Reece Oxford as he is substituted

Nonetheless, Oxford, who can also play at centre-half, could find game time easier to come by at the City Ground with the Daily Mail reporting that the managerless Championship strugglers want to take the teenager on loan for the remainder of the season, with West Ham more than happy for him to build up his experience elsewhere.

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These developments come only a day after the Scottish Sun claimed that Rangers, who had entered advanced negotiations with Oxford, failed to complete the deal due to their inability to offload a centre-back to make room for his arrival.

And their loss with be Forest’s gain. The East Midlands club have been commended for their commitment to young players this season, with the likes of Matty Cash and Ben Osborn improving by the week and Oliver Burke earning a big-money move to RB Leipzig.

West Ham's Reece Oxford on the substitutes bench

However, due to their off-field instability and on-field struggles resulting in a toxic atmosphere on the terraces, doubts persist over whether Forest is the right environment for Oxford to grow away from the microscope of the Premier League.

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Instead, a youthful Rangers side lead by Mark Warburton, a manager renowned for his ability to mould young talents, may have instilled a winning mentality and helped Oxford perform in front of a huge, expectant home support.