According to a recent report from The Sun, West Ham’s Reece Oxford is hoping to stay in the Premier League if he leaves the East London club in January. The 19-year-old has come up through the ranks at the London Stadium and certainly shone when first introduced to the senior set-up, only for things to go awry since then to call his future at the club into doubt.

And reports suggest that the versatile star is hoping to remain in the English top-flight were he to leave the Hammers in the New Year, but given his troubled loan stints in recent years, alongside the fact that he can’t force his way into Manuel Pellegrini’s first team plans, he may have to lower his expectations and thus re-consider his deluded January hopes.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, there is little doubting that the England Under-20 international has huge ability and potential just waiting to be unlocked, as evidenced by his performances in the West Ham first team when he first broke through at the tender age of 16 – one match against Arsenal in particular stands out.

And while many would have thus expected Oxford to kick on and nail down a regular place in the Hammers first team, it simply hasn’t happened, with the defender appearing only 17 times for the East London outfit, 12 of which came in his break-out season of 2015/16.

And with no appearances at all under new boss Pellegrini, and not even an appearance in any of his matchday squads in both league and cup this term, it’s plainly obvious that things aren’t going at all well for the 19-year-old – so what makes him think that he could earn a move to a fellow Premier League side?

The Hammers themselves have been seriously struggling on the injury front for much of the season so far in areas of the squad that Oxford has pedigree, most notably the centre of midfield given the likes of Jack Wilshere, Carlos Sanchez, and Pedro Obiang have at times been on the treatment table.

Yet Pellegrini clearly doesn’t think that Oxford has what it takes to come in a do a job for the team in that area – yes, he has played much of his football at centre back so far in his career, but he’s actually made more appearances in midfield for the Hammers (seven) than in the heart of defence (six).

Add in his troubling loan spells at both Borussia Monchengladbach and Reading, struggling for regular first team football at both, and his hopes of a Premier League move seem pretty deluded – he simply hasn’t done enough recently to earn a move of that pedigree.

As such, while a move away does appear to be in Oxford’s best interests, he will surely have to re-consider his hopes for January, as a move to a fellow top-flight side seems highly unlikely.

West Ham fans… what do you think? Let us know!