The writing appeared on the wall for Adama Boiro at West Ham United as early as mid-October, when Nuno Espirito Santo made his stance with the Athletic Club loanee painfully – and publicly – clear.

Nuno intimated that Boiro is fourth in the Hammers’ left-back pecking order. The head coach has backed up his words with actions, too.

This means that Boiro has played more minutes for parent club Athletic this season than he has for the Hammers; 20 minutes against Barcelona versus 13 minutes against The Rams.

Adama Boiro has no future at West Ham United or Athletic Bilbao

Boiro could be handed a route back in against West Brom this Saturday. Nuno may be without Joel Veltman as well as Konstantinos Mavropanos. Thus, stretching West Ham’s defensive options, potentially freeing up Ollie Scarles for a return to the XI and Boiro a spot among the substitutes.

As of right now, though, the freezing out of the Senegal-born 24-year-old remains a source of much bemusement back home in Bilbao.

“The full-back will return to Bilbao without a guaranteed place in the Athletic squad,” Bilbao Hiria explain, in the event that West Ham look to terminate Boiro’s loan deal ahead of schedule.

“The winter transfer window will become his only chance to regain regular playing time. Athletic would then have to find him another club in just a few weeks, with the season already halfway through.

Athletic Club coach, and ex-West Ham assistant, Edin Terzic omitted Boiro from his starting XI at the beginning of the La Liga campaign. He is fourth-choice at West Ham – behind Morato, Scarles and Ezra Mayers – and was third-choice for Los Leoes; behind veteran Yuri Berchiche and up-and-comer Johaneko.

It is reported that West Ham would like to send Boiro back to San Mames. Athletic, though, have ‘no interest’ in reintegrating him into Terzic’s roster.

“The club loaned him out in the summer after a pre-season in which Johaneko Louis-Jean won the battle for the left-back position, and nothing that happened in England has changed that hierarchy.

“That’s the crux of the situation. Neither of the clubs involved wants the player on their roster for the remainder of the season.”

Boiro is behind Morato and Ollie Scarles as well as Ezra Mayers

Hammers News can confirm that West Ham have an option-to-buy clause in Boiro’s contract. Needless to say, that will not be triggered any time soon.

Furthermore, suggestions that Sabadell and Casa Pia two other clubs interested in signing the seldom-seen left-back perhaps highlight the folly of signing Boiro in the first place.

Sabadell are currently tenth in Spain’s second tier. Casa Pia are two places off the bottom in Portugal’s top-flight. If that was the standard of club interested in taking Adama Boiro on loan before England came calling, it should maybe come as no surprise that he’s not making the grade at West Ham.

Nuno has preferred the solid, reliable Morato at left-back, even if the Nottingham Forest loanee is not a natural in the position. Scarles is the second choice, with young Mayers in third. Perhaps because the latter two are both homegrown talents, and would therefore potentially fetch a decent transfer fee, Nuno appears more willing to give them a chance rather than a La Liga loanee owned by another club.

Boiro also looked frantic and a little uncertain on his debut at Derby. Yes, it is a little unfair to judge Boiro on his first quarter of an hour in English football. But, put simply, this is all we have to go on so far.

“We have Morato, Ollie Scarles and Ezra Mayers. [At left-back], we have lots of options,” Nuno said a fortnight ago. “We are honest with them [players in Boiro’s position, but] they are involved in the training sessions, and they are ready to play during the season.”

That final point may suggest that Boiro could be afforded a road back. Yet, Nuno has been saying the same about Edson Alvarez and Soungoutou Magassa for weeks now. The midfield duo were once again nowhere to be seen in defeat to Southampton last time out.