West Ham United are reportedly considering two loan bids for youngster Reece Oxford.
It must be said that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a West Ham fan who is as optimistic about Reece Oxford’s Hammers future as they were the day that he kept Mesut Ozil in his pocket when he was a 16-year-old playing out of position.
Oxford’s career has stagnated and it no longer appears to be inconceivable that the teenager will end the transfer window having left the Irons’ books for good after a loan spell with Borussia Monchengladbach last term.
He certainly has the offers on the table, it seems. The Daily Mail reported this week that AZ Alkmaar and Eibar are both interested in taking Oxford on loan and have made bids that would initially run until January and could subsequently be extended until the end of the campaign.
However, while that appears to make plenty of sense if Manuel Pellegrini does not see Oxford in his plans this season, West Ham would surely be making a terrible mistake accepting the offers given another clause that both include.
The Mail reports that both sides wish to include the option to buy Oxford for just £2 million at the end of his loan spell. If the Irons decide to accept those offers therefore, they should undoubtedly expect a backlash from the fans.
For the sake of £2 million, West Ham may as well keep Oxford on their books in case he does realise something like his full potential at some stage further down the line. The seven-figure fee is not going to make a major difference to an Irons side that spent big money over the summer.
They may rue not accepting the bids further down the line, but that feeling of missing an opportunity will be nothing in comparison with the dejection that they will feel if AZ or Eibar sign him for £2 million and he becomes the player that many once expected him to become.
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