OPINION
Leeds United must swoop to re-sign Robert Snodgrass this summer.
Not on loan, either. But on a permanent deal that would be a huge transfer statement and demonstrate serious ambition to end 14 years in the lower league doldrums.
The door is open to land Snodgrass after he fell out with the West Ham hierarchy and Aston Villa’s play-off final hope ended, according to the Birmingham Mail, their hopes of converting his loan into a full-time transfer.
Snodgrass has previously made it clear that the Hammers top brass would only loan him to a Championship club.
There was plenty of interest in the attacking midfielder last summer and there will be again in the coming weeks.
Leeds must jump to the front of the queue by offering the kind of money they have not shelled out on a player since their Premier League days.
With new investment in the club secured and reports United are willing to spend big on contracts and transfers this summer, none would offer a greater guarantee than Championship expert Snodgrass.
He has just come off a a stellar campaign at Villa, scoring eight goals and supplying 13 assists in 43 appearances.
Aged 30, he is just as good as when he was ripping it up at Elland Road in his mid-20s.
Signed from Livingstone for a fee of £35,000, Snodgrass is in many Leeds’ fans eyes the best player to have played for the club since their top-flight days.
With 41 goals from 187 appearances, the attacking midfielder was head and shoulders above his teammates, and most opponents, too.
He was the talisman of some pretty average sides during his four years at Elland Road, but he thrived on the responsibility to create and score goals from his wide role.
The statistics were impressive and so was the attitude. Snodgrass’ standards rarely slipped and Leeds did well to hang on to him for four years before his inevitable £3million transfer to Norwich.
Now is the ideal time for a reunion that could work brilliantly for all three parties.
