http://www.espnfc.co.uk/story/2814820/west-ham-youth-reece-oxford-a-target-for-man-city-sources
ESPN Think we are seriously looking at getting him, which has been reported a few times elsewhere, but I thought I'd make a thread now as ESPN seem to Have a good source at the club - especially at this level. They've had a couple of academy stories lately, only a few days ago they had a story about some of the u16s stalling on signing their contracts, which people initially rubbished only for @twosips to confirm it was true.
It's an interesting potential transfer IMO. Not sure if I'm for it or not - hard to really say when he's only started 2 or 3 professional games.
If his future is at CB, we already have Kompany, Otamendi, Mangala who are likely to stay. Denayer on his way back, Tosin is highly rated and the management seem to love Humphreys. Kean Bryan seems to be playing more in defence now too.
So there's not a lot of potential game time at CB.
If his future is in midfield, then it seems a better move - Yaya is likely gone, Fernandinho is 31 in May, Fernando has had some great games like last night, but they are few and far between and is he ever going to be really good? Or just useful?
Youth-wise I'm not sure we really have many true destroyers? Aleix Garcia is a totally different type of player, I think Davenport plays furthest back in the u18s midfield.
So maybe that makes more sense. I'm sure the media would hate it as per, and I'm not sure it sends out the best message to the kids in the academy, pretty cutthroat to bring in a 17 year old ahead of them without even giving them a chance to show if they are good enough to take that spot in the squad.
And he'd likely be playing in the u21s for at least a year because he's still mostly playing youth football now.
An important point - because he's only 17, he would count as not just an association trained HG players but actually a club trained player, same as Roberts.
ESPN Think we are seriously looking at getting him, which has been reported a few times elsewhere, but I thought I'd make a thread now as ESPN seem to Have a good source at the club - especially at this level. They've had a couple of academy stories lately, only a few days ago they had a story about some of the u16s stalling on signing their contracts, which people initially rubbished only for @twosips to confirm it was true.
It's an interesting potential transfer IMO. Not sure if I'm for it or not - hard to really say when he's only started 2 or 3 professional games.
If his future is at CB, we already have Kompany, Otamendi, Mangala who are likely to stay. Denayer on his way back, Tosin is highly rated and the management seem to love Humphreys. Kean Bryan seems to be playing more in defence now too.
So there's not a lot of potential game time at CB.
If his future is in midfield, then it seems a better move - Yaya is likely gone, Fernandinho is 31 in May, Fernando has had some great games like last night, but they are few and far between and is he ever going to be really good? Or just useful?
Youth-wise I'm not sure we really have many true destroyers? Aleix Garcia is a totally different type of player, I think Davenport plays furthest back in the u18s midfield.
So maybe that makes more sense. I'm sure the media would hate it as per, and I'm not sure it sends out the best message to the kids in the academy, pretty cutthroat to bring in a 17 year old ahead of them without even giving them a chance to show if they are good enough to take that spot in the squad.
And he'd likely be playing in the u21s for at least a year because he's still mostly playing youth football now.
An important point - because he's only 17, he would count as not just an association trained HG players but actually a club trained player, same as Roberts.