West Ham United have been linked with a move for Hull City midfielder Robert Snodgrass in the winter transfer window. It has also been reported that the Hammers made a bid of £3 million for the Scotsman which was rejected by the Tigers and now, the Hammers have submitted a new £5million bid for the player.
The Hammers have had to endure a difficult start to their ongoing campaign after having had a great last season. Slaven Bilic’s men, after having made the move to the Olympic Stadium from Upton Park in the summer, have struggled to recreate and reproduce their form from the last term that saw them finish in the 7th place in the Premier League.
They have been all over the place this season. The defence has looked shaky, the midfield hasn’t looked up to the mark but the biggest problem has been the fact that goals have become hard to come by. None of the strikers have been able to get firing for the Londoners and they have had to rely heavily on their midfielders and wide players for goals.
Michail Antonio has been the leading goal scorer for West Ham this term and his form in front of the goal has seen Bilic deploy the winger in a more central role in recent weeks. And with Dimitri Payet and the struggling Sofiane Feghouli the only wide players available, it makes perfect sense for the Hammers to make a move for Robert Snodgrass.
29-year old Snodgrass has been excellent for Hull City this term, despite their poor campaign that sees them at the bottom of the table. The Scottish international has been the Tigers’ main threat in the attacking third and has piled 7 goals already in the Premier League and two more in the EFL Cup. He has also registered 2 assists against his name in the league.
Extremely versatile, Snodgrass can play as an attacking midfielder or on either wing and can operate from a slightly deeper midfield position as well. He has featured mostly out on the right-flank for the Tigers and has been devastating, cutting in from the flank on his stronger left foot. Good pace and acceleration, a keen eye for a pass and excellent crossing abilities are some of the strongest aspects of his game. And add to that his goal threat from set pieces and long shots, Snodgrass could provide an alternate dimension to the West Ham attack.
Hull City tied down Snodgrass for another year recently and new manager Marco Silva has made his intentions clear, stating that he is not willing to lose his top goal-scorer. However, Hull’s current league position means they are most likely to be relegated. And with West Ham moving into the relative safety of the 13th place and a chance to earn better wages could appeal to the Scotsman.
West Ham could certainly do with the drive and the goals that Snodgrass will provide from the midfield. All in all, if West Ham manages to capture Snodgrass in the winter transfer window, it will go a long way in helping them move towards the top half of the table and will definitely prove to be a good piece of business.