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West Ham transfer rumour: Should Oxford and Burke be brought back in January?

By Scott Johnson

MIDDLESBROUGH, ENGLAND - JANUARY 21: Reece Oxford of West Ham United arrives at the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Middlesbrough and West Ham United at the Riverside Stadium on January 21, 2017 in Middlesbrough, England. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
MIDDLESBROUGH, ENGLAND - JANUARY 21: Reece Oxford of West Ham United arrives at the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Middlesbrough and West Ham United at the Riverside Stadium on January 21, 2017 in Middlesbrough, England. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images) /
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West Ham are rumoured to be after a centreback in January. Could they just bring back Burke or Oxford to fill that hole?

It’s going to be a tricky January for West Ham. After the summer recruitment didn’t exactly solve our issues we’re left with a limited budget in January. David Moyes will have players he will want to sign and an idea of who to sell. But if the money isn’t there it isn’t going to happen.

So could Reece Oxford, currently on loan at Monchengladbach, or Burke on loan at Bolton be an answer to the centreback issues? Could they make the step up, or could this be the first step in their development to Hammers regulars?

As with any transfer window, David Moyes has to make a difficult decision between signing players that will improve the team now and those who will develop over the next 6-7 years. For those saying why not both, they are hard players to come by. And they will cost a lot more.

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Whilst I understand that the defence needs more options, I’m not sure it needs investment as much as central midfield. With Burke and Oxford still on loan elsewhere, we have two options who could fill in for half a season. And I think they could do it well. Plus we’re then starting to look after the club in the long term.

Since they both made their first team debuts, many feel as though the progress has stalled. But I think that’s a lack of first team involvement, and lack of exposure to top football. Oxford is now getting that, after securing a place in the Monchengladbach side. As such I think getting Burke in the first team squad is the best idea.

He is strong on the ball, competent in the tackle and willing to learn. He also showed under Allardyce he isn’t out of place in the Premier League. Games in the top division will help him, and get him into a squad he could be a part of for 10+ years. Oxford will continue to get games in Germany, and develop there. When summer comes we can evaluate our options properly.

Next: Why we should sell Andy Carroll

I know the knee jerk reaction is to sign players, but looking at these two could save us money to spend elsewhere and help develop young, homegrown players. With the team looking better under Moyes, this could be a good time to start building.

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