Sheffield Wednesday are reportedly keen to take Snodgrass off West Ham United’s hands.
West Ham United winger Robert Snodgrass
Sheffield Wednesday are one of three Championship sides credited with an interest in West Ham United winger Robert Snodgrass [Sunday People, page 60].
And while a move for the Scotland international is seemingly unlikely with Snodgrass reportedly reluctant to drop to the second tier – moreover, his £10 million transfer fee and £50,000-a-week wages could also prove problematic – if it was to happen there is one Wednesday star in particular for whom his arrival may not sit well.
Sheffield Wednesday forward Fernando Forestieri [centre]
Ahead of last season’s play-off final between the Owls and Hull City, Snodgrass, then a Tigers player, accused Wednesday’s Fernando Forestieri of cheating during the two team’s previous meeting at the KCOM Stadium and described his antics that game as “terrible”.
“I wouldn’t want to win at Wembley by cheating,” the 29-year-old told The Guardian.
“When Wednesday played us here I would have sent him off earlier, I think he dived about four times in the first half. I thought Forestieri was terrible for the game. It’s a contact sport but you don’t want somebody cheating. It’s cheating the referee. The referee has a hard enough job as it is.”
In the game Snodgrass was referring to, Forestieri was ultimately shown a second yellow card for simulation, although even Steve Bruce, who was Hull’s manager at the time, admitted the decision was “harsh”.
Sheffield Wednesday forward Fernando Forestieri [centre]
And the Hammers players said later: “When you look back at the decision to send him off, it was the one where he probably hadn’t dived. He killed himself by diving in the first half. If he’d been in my team I’d have told him to get a grip.”
And while Snodgrass is without question the right calibre of player Wednesday should be targeting this summer, the Owls may want to rethink any interest if they want to keep Forestieri happy at Hillsborough.
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Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough stadium
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