Sheffield Wednesday could lose Man United talent in January - Birmingham, Derby & Portsmouth should take advantage | OneFootball

FLW has looked at three divisional rivals who could capitalise on a potential transfer decision involving Harry Amass

With the January transfer window looming large, many clubs are already planning ahead when it comes to numerous critical decisions which they hope will have a positive impact on the second half of the season.

The current state of the Championship table means that, arguably, this could be the most pivotal winter window for many sides looking to reach the Premier League, with just 10 points separating Middlesbrough in second to 17th-place Charlton Athletic as the campaign enters December.

However, it is also fair to say that, if there is one side whose seasonal aims are unlikely to be impacted by transfer activity - barring the mother of all miracles - are Sheffield Wednesday.

Despite the fact Henrik Pedersen was recently able to sign the experienced duo of Liam Cooper and Nathan Redmond on free transfers, the South Yorkshire side have been stationed at the foot of the Championship table for over a month, largely down to the fact they entered administration and have since been hit with two points deductions, with the second of those coming on December 1st after several delayed payments to players, staff and HMRC.

As such, with 28 games remaining, Wednesday are 27 points from safety, and one of the hot topics of discussion - takeover aside - at Hillsborough has been the future of Manchester United loanee, Harry Amass, post-January.

The 18-year-old has performed admirably in his first loan stint away from Old Trafford, scoring once and providing one assist in 14 appearances thus far.

It was well-documented that all payments for his initial short-term loan stint were being covered by the Red Devils, although the aforementioned Pedersen is hopeful the left-wing-back will remain at S6 for the remainder of the campaign.

However, Football League World have reeled off three of Wednesday's divisional rivals who could capitalise through a January swoop, should Ruben Amorim decide to send the youngster elsewhere.

Birmingham City

Birmingham City's squad is nicely balanced throughout all departments, with Chris Davies continuing to receive ample backing from ownership group, Knighthead Capital Management.

However, it is also fair to say that one of very few problem areas for the former Tottenham Hotspur assistant has been availability at left-back beyond first-choice figure and the extremely reliable Alex Cochrane, who has already amassed over 70 appearances since signing in July 2024.

In truth, the former Brighton and Hove Albion defender has had very little competition for his place in the side within the past year, largely due to the long-term absence of Lee Buchanan, who sustained a serious knee injury against Blackpool 12 months ago.

The former Derby County man is said to be stepping up his recovery programme as a return nears ever closer. However, with a clear lack of match fitness and sharpness, moving for Amass on a short-term deal could be an alternative option for Blues.

But, there is a slight dilemma in the fact that Davies made five loan signings in the summer, with the same amount only permitted within a matchday squad, meaning a handful of dominoes may need to fall in order for this scenario to become reality.

Derby County

Another side in need of depth at left-back are Derby County, who have enjoyed a relatively strong run of form under John Eustace in recent weeks.

However, that has coincided with the fact that Liverpool loanee, and the 46-year-old's former Blackburn Rovers colleague, Owen Beck, is set to return to Anfield after suffering a hamstring issue which will keep him sidelined for up to four months.

Once such developments are made official, this will free up a loan spot for Eustace, and one which could immediately be filled by Amass.

The Red Devils youngster should be attracted by the names which the Rams boss has helped develop during the early stages of his managerial career thus far, such as Jay Stansfield and Jobe Bellingham.

As well as this, the wing-back's ability to operate as a creative force, on top of playing with such strong defensive nous at this stage of his career, would only benefit the East Midlands side in their play-off bid.

Whilst Portsmouth's aims for the remainder of the season appear to be completely different, the South Coast side should also look to capitalise on this potential decision.

It has been an extremely poor start to the campaign for John Mousinho's side, who have been unable to keep clean sheets on a consistent basis following the early-season injury to Nicolas Schmid in goal.

25 concessions in 18 games is particularly alarming, with plenty of those also stemming from the opposition being allowed to cause havoc in wide areas.

This is something which Amass could certainly help address. Although, at such a young age, the Fratton Park faithful wouldn't be able to pin all their hopes on the England youth international, who still has plenty of learning to do.