West Ham’s 24-Year-Old Left-Back Faces Bilbao Concerns: Is Nuno Right To Trust Scarles?

West Ham’s 24-Year-Old Left-Back Faces Bilbao Concerns: Is Nuno Right To Trust Scarles? West Ham’s decision to bring in a Spanish left-back on deadline day has yet to deliver the regular football Athletic Club Bilbao expected, raising questions about his role and the purchase option agreed between the clubs. Athletic Club worry over West Ham situation According to Sport Witness , relaying a report from Athletic Club Info, the Basque side have genuine concerns about Adama Boiro’s lack of opportunities since joining West Ham on loan. The 24-year-old struggled for regular minutes at Athletic last season, recording 810 minutes across 14 La Liga appearances. After making one league appearance under new manager Edin Terzić this season, he moved to England on deadline day. West Ham had sold El Hadji Malick Diouf to Brentford earlier in the window, creating an opening at left-back. Boiro arrived with a purchase option, but his first weeks have offered little encouragement. His only appearance came on September 5, when he played 13 minutes during West Ham’s 3-0 victory over Derby County. Reports from Spain subsequently linked his limited involvement to a minor injury and claimed he had rejected other clubs to join the Hammers. However, neither Nuno nor West Ham have clarified why Boiro has missed the last four consecutive matches. Without confirmation of an ongoing injury or a purely tactical decision, blaming the manager would be premature. Oliver Scarles has established himself as Nuno’s preferred left-back, featuring in nine matches so far. Consequently, Boiro faces a difficult route into the starting eleven. Athletic had hoped their loanee would secure the regular football he struggled to find in Spain. Instead, his limited involvement threatens to weaken the case for a permanent transfer and could affect his market value. Is Nuno right to keep Boiro behind Scarles? BILBAO, SPAIN – DECEMBER 03: Adama Boiro of Athletic Club looks at the ball while carrying it forward during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Athletic Club and Real Madrid CF at Estadio de San Mames on December 03, 2025 in Bilbao, Spain. (Photo by Ion Alcoba Beitia/Getty Images) Nuno has a promotion target to meet, so trusting a dependable starter makes sense. Scarles already knows the system, while Boiro arrived late and reportedly carried a minor knock. Dropping an established option before the newcomer proves himself would introduce unnecessary risk. Still, leaving Boiro out completely makes little sense. His forward-running carrilero profile could help West Ham stretch Championship defences that sit deep, particularly when the team needs extra width and overlapping runs on the left. I’d give him cup starts and selected league minutes against defensive opponents, while keeping Scarles as the first choice. That approach would protect Scarles from fatigue and let Nuno assess Boiro in meaningful situations without disrupting the team’s rhythm. For Athletic, the purchase option belongs to West Ham, so Bilbao cannot dictate the outcome. Boiro needs opportunities to prove his value, and Nuno needs enough evidence to judge whether a permanent deal deserves serious consideration.