Robert Snodgrass enjoyed a great season in the Championship with Aston Villa last season. But he returned to West Ham this summer to find a raft of new attacking midfielders had arrived at the club.
One in particular, Andriy Yarmolenko, looks to provide a particular problem. Snodgrass is a direct, left-footed winger who prefers to cut in from the right flank. So is Yarmolenko.
But Yarmolenko has Champions League experience, greater international recognition and is a new summer arrival. His arrival looked like bad news for Snodgrass.
Aston Villa’s bleak financial positional at the start of the summer looked to put paid to a return to Villa Park. But new owners arrived and Steve Bruce’s hopes of bringing the Scot back to the club were reportedly increased.
Those links will not go away until the transfer window slams shut. However, Bruce’s most recent comments are the biggest hint yet that he will accept defeat in the chase.
Snodgrass featured heavily in pre-season and got onto the pitch for the second half of the thrashing by Liverpool last weekend. That suggests Pellegrini may see a future for the 6ft star at the club.
Bruce is not optimistic
Bruce’s comments, as reported by the Guardian, suggests he acknowledges that. He said: “He’s trying to make an impression on a new manager and I don’t know anything about his current situation.”
The former Hull boss doesn’t rule out a swoop, but also does not appear optimistic. All the signs are that Snodgrass wants to knuckle down and fight for his West Ham place.
He could be a useful option for Pellegrini this season; his time at Hull shows he can cut it in the Premier League, when he is fit and confident.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
