What's Going On With Hammers Star Of The Future?

West Ham United youngster Reece Oxford is reportedly on the radar of Manchester City and Bundesliga sides Borussia Dortmund and Hoffenheim, where these reports eminate from is a matter of some conjecture. There are some who feel that 19 year old Oxford has been poorly advised by his agent who seems more interested in short term financial gratification as opposed to plotting a long and successful career path for his client. Having 'engineered' a situation that saw his client signing a £1 Million per year contract he has now agitated for his charge to move to a club that appreciates his undeniable talent even more.

Why has this situation been allowed to develop? Well essentially fear and greed, fear from the club's hierarchy that they would lose a young talent in the same way that they lost Rio, Joe Cole, Michael Carrick and Jermaine Defoe. That is why the club stumped up for such a generous settlement for the youngster, the only problem being that far from ensuring the player's happiness the opposite has occured, the term 'Billy Big Bollocks' might be best used to describe what has happened to the affable Oxford, although to be fairer, 'too much too young' might be a more balanced view.

Either way the end result of all the manoeuvering that has gone on has been poor for both player and club, a parting of the ways looks likely as Manuel Pellegrini obviously doesn't like what he sees in Oxford. It is not as if the ex-Manchester City manager isn't willing to give youth a chance, his deployment of Declan Rice in midfield and introduction of Grady Diangana clearly shows that he is prepared to take a risk by using young players, but not in Oxford's case. Pellegrini is old school, and perhaps the brashness exhibited by Oxford has rubbed him up the wrong way, it seems the January transfer window might see the talented Oxford leave the club, possibly on loan yet again.

Football is littered with what might have beens, and sadly Oxford is beginning to fall into that category, at least while he is at West Ham. Perhaps it will be beter for all parties if he does leave, but there will always be the lingering thoughts of what if? - Ed