West Brom and Middlesbrough have registered their interest in signing West Ham defender, Reece Oxford, with his move to Ausburg on the brink of falling through according to the Telegraph. 

The potential move to the German side has hit a stumbling block as they aren’t prepared to add a clause in his contract that allows him to leave if they are relegated.

The report claims that Oxford would be available for as little as £2m to English clubs, although he was previously in talks with Ausburg over a deal that would cost in the region of £4.5m.

The 20-year-old spent last season on loan in Germany with Ausburg, where he made eight league appearances in his time with the club.

Oxford has previously played in England though, as he spent time in the Championship with Reading back in 2017 and put in a number of impressive displays.

But it won't come as a surprise to see West Brom interested in signing the defender, as the Baggies are looking like they are set to appoint former West Ham boss, Slaven Bilic as their new manager according to Sky Sports News. 

Bilic handed Oxford his first-team debut for West Ham against Arsenal in 2015, where he burst onto the scene by keeping Mesut Ozil quiet.

Middlesbrough will also be looking to strengthen their squad ahead of next year's campaign, where they will be aiming to finish inside the top six, after a poor run of form last season saw them miss out on finishing in the play-off places.

The Verdict: 

This would be a fantastic signing for both teams reportedly interested.

Oxford is a player with a bright future ahead of him, who arguably, could be playing regularly for West Ham this season, in my opinion.

If Slaven Bilic is to be named as West Brom manager in the near future, then I wouldn't be surprised to see Oxford move to the Baggies ahead of next season.