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According to a report from Sky, Reece Oxford said no to both Manchester United and Manchester City, who were both keen on signing the Hammers’ young Englishman. On top of this, to show his commitment to the club, Oxford signed a five-year-deal, confirmed by the club today.
The 18-year old defenseman made his competitive debut for West Ham last season in Europa qualifying when he was 16, making him the youngest ever player to play for the London club. He then made his Premier League debut against Arsenal.
He has yet to play in the Premier League this season, but made two appearances in Europa qualifying earlier in the year.
This shows a good sign of the players’ mentality within the dressing room. If a young starlet is rejecting Manchester United and Manchester City to stay with West Ham, he must have great confidence that things will turn around this season and West Ham will go forward and continue to grow over the coming years.
In a season like this, which has been rough to say the least, many people would expect the clubs’ best players and prospects to start jumping ship to better opportunities. It is great news for West Ham and its fans that this is not happening, and Oxford showing his faith in the clubs and its future is a great sign that things will turn around.