Why Harry Amass will be cheaper for West Ham to sign in January after summer U-turn
Harry Amass may once again be a transfer target for West Ham United in January.
The left-back was unable to secure a move away from Manchester United in the summer after a dramatic deadline day twist.
The Hammers were linked with the defender, along with fellow Championship clubs Burnley, Norwich City and Birmingham City.
Nuno Espirito Santo has shown great faith in Ollie Scarles early on this season, but there are still some concerns about the defender in E20.
That said, the Irons could dip into the market this winter window in search of full-back competition.
Amass could be that replacement, as there are reasons why a winter move may financially benefit West Ham.
Why West Ham can sign Harry Amass for cheaper in January
Man United were open to selling Amass permanently ahead of deadline day, with some suggestions a loan move to the Championship was also on the cards.
There was plenty of interest in the second tier after his impressive performances for Sheffield Wednesday in the first half of last season.
He moved to Norwich in January, but an injury halted his momentum at Carrow Road.
The 19-year-old had a good pre-season for Man United and looked to be a sellable asset, but after the Red Devils had a change of heart, he stayed at Old Trafford.
Amass has previously made his Premier League debut for Man United, but has yet to feature in one of Michael Carrick's matchday squads in the division.
He's played just 18 minutes in one Champions League outing, despite left-back Luke Shaw missing some matches.
Carrick shoehorned Noussair Mazraoui into Shaw's position while the latter was injured, as Amass is yet to be shown any trust whatsoever.
The West Ham-linked full-back hasn't played a minute of football in either the Premier League or Championship since 26 January, and it's for that reason that his market value will be dropping.
How much has Amass dropped in value already?
A potential move for Amass would depend on how well Scarles performs for West Ham up until the winter window.
There's already a strong case for the Rush Green prospect to play a supporting role for a more talented full-back, but the Hammers understandably want to try to promote one of their own.
But Adama Boiro has yet to impress since arriving on loan from Atletico Bilbao, and has been absent from Nuno's last three matchday squads, with a January recall looking likely.
According to FotMob, Amass's market value reached £7.5million in April.
Now, his value has already dropped to £4.5m.
That's not to say this is the price West Ham could sign him for, but rather that his value simply must plummet if he's not playing games.
If his fortune doesn't change soon at Man United by January, it will have been almost a year since he last played a domestic league match.
West Ham could nip in and secure a potential future England starter for a bargain.