Championship outfit, Aston Villa, are desperate to earn a promotion to ply their trade amongst the elite clubs of the country in the Premier League. The Villans have strengthened their arsenal considerably this summer, having lured the likes of John Terry, Glenn Whelan, Ahmed Elmohamady and Sam Johnstone to their ranks.
However, their new season in the Championship hasn’t started in a spectacular fashion, as they have earned merely four points in as many games so far this season. From what has transpired so far, there is a bit of bluntness in their attacking setup owing to which they haven’t really been able to push the opposition on the back foot or to dismantle them in order to score goals.
The summer transfer window is still wide open and Steve Bruce has put West Ham United’s winger Robert Snodgrass on his radar as one of their targets. Snodgrass was signed by the Hammers in the January transfer window of 2017 for £10million, but his stature has been reduced to that of an outcast by Slaven Bilic and is yet to make an appearance for the London based club this season.
This is where Aston Villa come into the equation. Bruce is in dire need of cultivating more productivity from the wings and hence, they are plotting a move to lure Snodgrass on loan for the season. He has worked with the Scottish international while he was in-charge of Hull City and he is familiar to what he would receive from Snodgrass.
The 29-year-old is a versatile player who can work efficiently from either wing and is also well equipped to operate from the no. 10 slot. He possesses an excellent eye to bang goals, tracks back to make defensive contributions, creates adequate chances for his teammates week in and week out and is also a set-piece specialist.
He emerged through the youth ranks of Livingston and was eventually promoted to their senior side. After that, he impressed the football fraternity during his spells with Leeds United, Norwich City and Hull City. With the pair of Mike Jedinak and Whelan cushioning their backline, what they really need is someone to maraud forward and break the shackles up front with creativity and flair.
To be honest, someone like Snodgrass perfectly fits the bill. His crosses are appealing more often than not and he doesn’t refrain himself from getting into tight areas. Besides, he also has plenty of experience of English football and he would play a key role in defining Aston Villa’s season if the deal eventually materializes.
