Reece Oxford
According to The Northern Echo, Middlesbrough have contacted German Bundesliga outfit FC Augsburg over a potential loan deal for former West Ham academy graduate Reece Oxford.
The Teessiders have already completed three new signings in the winter market so far, with Patrick Roberts and Lukas Nmecha joining on loan from Man City to bolster the attack and Dejan Stojanovic coming through the door as a replacement for goalkeeper Darren Randolph, who completed a return to West Ham.
However, as per the report, Boro manager Jonathan Woodgate has now set his sights on shoring up the backline, with a new central defender understood to be a priority, as he looks to have all his bases covered heading into the crucial last quarter of the campaign.
Middlesbrough slumped to their first league defeat in six games on Friday night as Anthony Knockaert’s early winner handed Fulham a narrow 1-0 victory at Craven Cottage. Boro had won four out of their last five Championship games heading into the trip to West London but their impressive resurgence was halted by a dominant Fulham side.
In the wake of the 1-0 defeat, Woodgate admitted that lack of defensive options was one of the major reasons behind their undoing, acknowledging that the pressure of playing three games within a space of six days had finally caught up with his injury-stricken squad. (h/t Northern Echo)
Meanwhile, Reece Oxford hasn’t really had a fruitful time since completing a permanent switch to German club Augsburg from West Ham this past summer.
The 21-year-old has made eight appearances in the Bundesliga so far this season, starting only twice in the process, and his limited involvement has once again sparked speculations over his future.
Oxford was tipped for stardom when he broke into West Ham’s first-team as a promising 16-year-old prodigy but he never really went on to fulfill his promise in East London, recording only 17 appearances across all competitions.
Having previously spent time on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach and Augsburg in Germany, the Edmonton-born former England U-20 international eventually completed a permanent move to the latter this past summer, but lack of playtime has continued to thwart his progress.
The Northern Echo understands that Dutch top-flight club VVV-Venlo are prepared to offer him an escape route with a loan deal in January but Middlesbrough are hoping that the prospect of a return to England could be more tempting for Oxford.
Having conceded just 28 goals in 27 games so far, Boro boast of an impressive defensive record in the Championship but it is clear from the manager’s assessment that lack of specialist options at centre-back could be a real concern moving forward, with fixtures set to come thick and fast during a brutal last quarter of the season.
Agreed, Jonny Howson and Patrick McNair have done a decent job in Woodgate’s preferred back-three system alongside Dael Fry, but with Ryan Shotton, Daniel Ayala and George Friend all presently on the treatment table, Boro don’t have much specialist cover at the heart of the defence.
To put things into perspective, Middlesbrough should now turn their attention to bolstering their backline with some new signings, having already added a couple of attackers to their ranks in January, and a loan deal for Reece Oxford could solve a nagging issue for Woodgate.
The 21-year-old’s career has failed to take off but he remains a fine young central defender with loads of potential and Boro could have a quality player on their hands if Woodgate manages to extract the best out of him.
With academy prospects like Aynsley Pears, Djed Spence and Hayden Coulson making their presence felt under Woodgate, a move to the Riverside Stadium could provide an ideal platform for Oxford to resurrect his faltering career.
Boro’s lack of depth at the back was badly exposed against Fulham and things could get even worse in the coming months if necessary action isn’t taken to enhance squad depth. Oxford certainly looks more than capable of thriving at the club and his arrival would undoubtedly add some much-needed cover at the back.
Having said that, Middlesbrough completing a loan deal to bring Reece Oxford back to England would be a shrewd piece of business.