Amass finds himself in an unusual situation. The 19-year-old, a natural left-back developed in United’s academy, performed well while on loan at Sheffield Wednesday last season before suffering an injury shortly after joining Norwich during the winter transfer window. He later caught the eye in pre-season while providing cover for Shaw.
Despite those encouraging displays, United appeared prepared to allow him to move elsewhere.
In the summer of 2024, former manager Erik ten Hag left the teenager out of his Community Shield squad, even though Amass had acquitted himself well against Mo Salah in a pre-season match in the United States a week earlier.
Ten Hag believed Amass was not yet physically ready for the required level. After another two years of development, the defender would be expected to have added strength and maturity.
Several clubs showed interest in Amass. His absence from United’s Premier League 2 fixture against Leicester on Monday strengthened expectations that he would depart before the deadline, most likely on loan.
No move materialised, however, leaving his place in the first-team setup uncertain.
Leny Yoro’s pre-season displays also made United more comfortable with considering Mazraoui as an alternative at left-back.
Although the club recruited Yoro from Lille for £52m in 2024 as a centre-back, Carrick deployed him primarily on the right side of defence during the summer.
Yoro filled that position again against Ipswich on Sunday, replacing Dalot as Mazraoui simultaneously came on in place of Shaw.
The 20-year-old still needs time to master the demands of playing at right-back, but his speed, physical power and composure in possession give him useful tools. Josko Gvardiol’s successful transition from central defence to full-back at Manchester City demonstrates that such a positional change can work well.
United have therefore chosen to accept a measured degree of risk.
After maintaining strict limits on transfer fees throughout the summer and refusing to exceed their valuations, the club wanted to avoid another short-term addition similar to Alex Telles, Matteo Darmian or Sergio Reguilon, all of whom ultimately fell below the level expected.
From a strategic perspective, the approach is understandable and may prove to be the correct choice.
That judgment is easier to make away from the pressure and unpredictability of competitive matches. Ultimately, performances and results will determine whether United made the right decision.
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