West Ham United have emerged as a prominent Premier League spender in recent years and their acquisition of the Olympic Stadium was expected to make them an esteemed London force along with the big boys Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
A sudden upsurge in the 2015-16 campaign made the fans exhilarated and enthusiastic but the inevitable downfall in last two seasons has once again brought them back to the lower half of the league tally.
The Hammers have recruited some high-profile names of late but most of their renowned stars failed to deliver. The managerial alterations did not work out either, however, the appointment of highly-successful Manuel Pellegrini has to be a statement of intent from club owners David Sullivan and David Gold.
The Chilean, who won the Premier League title during his Manchester City tenure, has now returned to English football following a stint with Chinese outfit Hebei China Fortune. Several exits are on the cards as the manager is eyeing a summer overhaul in order to build up an ambitious project in East London.
Meanwhile, Robert Snodgrass’ West Ham United future seems to be hanging by a thread. The club is yet to decide his future and the Scotsman, too, is unsure whether he will be retained, sold or sent out on yet another season-long loan.
The 30-year-old winger has a couple of years left in his current deal to run out but was surplus to the Hammers’ requirements and spent the 2017-18 campaign on loan at Championship hotshots Aston Villa. Unfortunately, they suffered a heartbreak in the playoff final as they failed to earn a Premier League promotion following their disappointing defeat to Fulham.
Snodgrass bagged 8 goals and registered 13 assists in the league but his efforts could not bring the Villans back to the top tier of English football.
The £10.2m winter signing from Hull City last year had only half-a-season to get settled in a depleted Hammers squad and despite his profound experience, Snodgrass was not viewed as a part of their 2017-18 squad. Although they do not have a proper right-winger except Michail Antonio, a few attacking recruitments are likely to happen in the next couple of months time if West Ham really aim to strengthen themselves.
The Scottish international, therefore, will slip further down the pecking order and a player, who is in his 30s, must seek regular football for at least a couple of years furthermore.
Another loan deal will do no good to West Ham either and the player should be offloaded permanently.
Pellegrini will prefer to inject freshness into a gloomy squad and the player should accept the reality as there will be no way back for him to claim a first-team slot under Pellegrini.
A decision must be made soon and the player’s entourage must start finding a new club prior to the upcoming campaign.