Oxford set for Bundesliga return with Augsburg

Oxford spent the majority of the 2017/18 campaign with Borussia Mönchengladbach, making seven Bundesliga appearances across two separate loan spells. The England U20 centre-back, who has not made a single senior appearance for the Hammers this term, will now be hopeful of more regular game time with relegation-threatened Augsburg.

“We’ve brought in a really good centre-back in Reece Oxford,” said sporting director Stefan Reuter. “He knows the Bundesliga from his year with Borussia Mönchengladbach and will definitely have no issues settling in so he can quickly help us.”

After a positive first spell with the Foals between July and December 2017, Oxford went back to London only to secure a second loan move to Gladbach a few weeks later. He admitted he was "desperate to come back to Borussia" and "delighted" about his return to the Bundesliga.

Augsburg will provide a different kind of challenge for the London native, who could well slot in as a direct replacement for experienced centre-back Martin Hinteregger; the Austrian has been loaned out to Eintracht Frankfurt for the rest of the 2018/19 season.

“The Bundesliga is a great league, I realised that with Borussia Mönchengladbach,” Oxford added. “That’s why I’m happy to now be with Augsburg so I can play more in the Bundesliga. I want to help us win as many points as possible in the coming weeks so we can avoid relegation.”

Augsburg, who recently appointed former Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann as assistant coach to Manuel Baum, are currently 15th in the table and just a point above the relegation play-off place. They entertain mid-table Mainz on Sunday.