Steve Bruce eyes Villa return for West Ham’s Robert Snodgrass

Villa fans were cruelly treated to a glimpse of cult hero Robert Snodgrass when he returned to face Aston Villa. The former loanee bagged a goal for his current side West Ham United, as the Hammers ran out as winners in the midweek friendly. Snodgrass then spent a few minutes saluting Villa fans, who assumed that after the failure to achieve promotion, they had said their final goodbye to a star player who Villa cannot afford to capture.

However, a story has emerged from the Birmingham Mail stating that Steve Bruce, Villa’s manager, has put out the feelers in regards to another loan deal for Robert Snodgrass. This is exciting news as once again, Villa can acquire a quality player who excelled for the team at a small price. However, in lieu of a transfer fee, how can Aston Villa afford to get any wages paid to Snodgrass past the EFL and financial fair play rules? It remains to be seem, but it certainly seems that yet again, there may be a slight gamble on the cards.

On another note, West Ham may be set to keep Snodgrass, who has much to prove at West Ham. While he excelled for Hull at a Premier League level, the Scotsman hasn’t really had much of a chance at his parent club. Something he’d likely want to rectify unless he’s shipped out on loan again.

As for Bruce, conflicting reports have emerged this morning regarding Villa’s transfer policy. Alan Nixon reported that Aston Villa fancy working with a few agents in the short-term to boost Villa’s squad, while Gregg Evans has stated that as far as he understands, the reigns are in Bruce’s hands. The truth will always be in-between, and Villa are likely doing both - with full scouting leaving Bruce’s hands, before a final vote is made by the manager. Essentially, deals won’t be down to him. Who knows?

At the very least it seems that both can be true, with Steve Bruce working on a number of deals, while Villa’s ownership ensure that squad depth is kept intact. And hey, a deal for Snodgrass didn’t seem a possibility a few weeks ago!