Patrick Rees
Manchester United have been dealt a major setback, as their long-term defensive target – Reece Oxford – has signed a new five-year deal with the Hammers, according to the reports from the Sun.
The Hammers haven’t made the news official as the same source has stated that it will be done on his 18th birthday, which is on Friday. There were many rumours regarding the future of this talented defender, as many clubs – not just in England – were eager to acquire his signature, but Slaven Bilic has somehow pursued the youngster to stay with the Hammers.
The soon to be 18-year-old was a constant target for both Manchester clubs, and should the negotiations have fallen off, the youngster could have ended up in Manchester in the next summer. The England under-20 international joined West Ham United in 2011 after he was released from the academy of Spurs and since then, his stocks have increased exponentially.
The Englishman got his first team breakthrough last season and featured against the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool and this was when he started attracting interests. He hasn’t featured for the first team since their Europa League clash against the Romanian outfit Astra Giurgiu in August.
He has been ruled out of the action due to an ankle injury he suffered in November, but it is quite expected that he will be drafted into the first team as soon as he recovers from that.
Talking in terms of Manchester United, the devils would have been unable to provide him a regular first team opportunity, as Mourinho is still unsure of his first XI. Reece is a versatile individual, who can fill the right-back spot as well as the defensive midfield spot with relative ease, but United already have a brilliant youngster of similar irk in Timothy Fosu-Mensah.
The young Dutch has been excellent whenever he has been on the pitch, so making a move for Reece is not an urgent want for the Red Devils.
It is fair to say that even if United had grabbed the signature of the youngster, he would have been made to play with the reserves and that is surely not the thing he wants or deserves right now. At West Ham, he has a perfect opportunity to prove his worth as James Collins is out injured and the Hammers aren’t doing that great this season.
