The fall and fall of Reece Oxford is a small tragedy if we believe those reports coming out of The Sun that Luton Town are now interested in the former Hammer.
According to the tabloid the rock bottom Championship Hatters are trying to beat 17th placed Middlesborough to the player after contacting his current club Augsburg.
And according to the local Wearside press there is an interest from manager Jonathon Woodgate in the central defender.
Oxford, 21, has made just eight Bundesliga appearances this season and it appears that the German outfit are ready to let him move on after the one time top Hammers prospect was linked with Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea..
The only other club reported to have shown interest is Dutch side VVV-Venlo who apparently were considering a move earlier this month.
At one stage before his £3 million switch to Germany he was being quoted as a £20-£25m player and was earning around £20k whilst nowhere near the Hammers first team squad at a time when Declan Rice was on £2.5k before signing his new deal.
Now he will probably have to settle for a cut even on that should he move back to either of the two threatened Championship clubs.
It’s extraordinary to have witnessed such a slide in fortunes and may show the folly of rewarding teenagers to ridiculous levels of wealth before they have demonstrated their ability to earn it.
Either he was truly overrated or his concentration levels collapsed for whatever reason. Either way a small career tragedy is being acted out and only the least sympathetic would not want to see him fulfill the potential he demonstrated as a Hammers kid.
Still a young man, perhaps immaturity has held him up. Given the right environment, coaching, attitude, I don’t see why he can’t improve his faults and have a decent career. Earning a living as a professional footballer, even if you don’t reach the high expectations put on you as a teenager, is not really a tragedy, a career ending injury is
He had all the opportunities, so have no sympathy in this situation. Assume, badly advised along the way too, but if like Rice he had right mentality could have worked through this
Not too late for him to turn things around. But he IS still young and if he is prepared to come back and play for Luton, there is no reason why he can’t find his way back to producing the form that we all know he is capable of…
But, for this to happen, he will need to take a good long look at himself, forget his wonder boy tag and Graft like he’s never grafted before in his life.
It’s up to him where his career goes from here.
I saw him several years ago for the U23’s . After he made his debut. He was class on the pitch for his skill level but there was an attitude you could see that he thought he shouldn’t be there and playing for the First X1 instead.
Poor,poor attitude . Badly advised.
You would of thought someone like Rio could of advised him.
I hope we included a sell on fee… we could use an extra Fiver in our own transfer budget. ⚒⚒