West Ham let Oxford depart for Augsburg on permanent deal
West Ham have allowed young defender Reece Oxford to leave for Bundesliga side Augsburg on a permanent deal.
Oxford, 20, became the youngest ever player to feature for West Ham in 2015, when Slaven Bilic handed him his first-team debut in a Europa League qualifier aged 16 years and 198 days.
The centre-back had been considered a major prospect for the Hammers and England at the time, making seven Premier League appearances in the 2015-16 campaign and reportedly snubbing Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City to sign a new deal.
However, he subsequently struggled to hold down a spot in the first-team squad and was underwhelming during loan spells with Reading and Borussia Monchengladbach.
REECE IS BACK! @Reeceoxford_ joins from @WestHamUtd and signs a permanent contract until 2023! Welcome back, Reece! #FCA pic.twitter.com/uc93niXO8A
— FC Augsburg English (@FCA_World) August 2, 2019
Oxford made eight Bundesliga appearances for Augsburg last season after joining in January, helping them narrowly avoid relegation.
Although a permanent move reportedly fell through initially due to disagreements over a relegation release clause, talks resumed and have been concluded with Oxford signing a four-year deal.
Good luck, @Reeceoxford_! https://t.co/ooUeJ54Ncm
— West Ham United (@WestHamUtd) August 2, 2019