Norwich City Poached £3m Bargain From Leeds United

Norwich City have seen some truly outstanding players come through the door at Carrow Road, with Emi Buendia and Wes Hoolahan the pick of recent times.

In 2012, the club were preparing for a second successive season in the Premier League, having finished in a respectable 11th position the previous season.

Much to Leeds United manager Neil Warnock’s disappointment, Norwich signed Robert Snodgrass for a reported £3m, as per the Yorkshire Evening Post, in a deal which must be considered an absolute steal.

Robert Snodgrass was prolific for Leeds United

From the moment he signed from Scottish side, Livingston, Snodgrass showed Elland Road that he had masses of potential.

When the Scot joined Leeds in 2008, they were in League One, having suffered relegation from the Championship the previous season; four years earlier, the club had been a Premier League outfit.

Leeds’ mission would have been to escape League One as quickly as possible, but it was a tricky league to break out of. In Snodgrass, they possessed the perfect weapon as the player had the hunger and desire to help Leeds achieve their goal.

Sure enough, Snodgrass made his mark in League One and contributed 16 goals and 12 assists in two seasons at Elland Road. In doing so, the winger played a pivotal role in Leeds’ promotion to the Championship.

In the Championship, it was business as usual for the winger, and during his fourth season with the club, he bagged a career high tally of 13 goals and 15 assists for Leeds. Despite his invaluable contributions, the Yorkshire club finished in 14th place.

When Premier League club Norwich came knocking in 2012, it was always going to be difficult for Championship side, Leeds, to hold onto Snodgrass.

Despite Warnock’s best efforts, the manager claimed that the winger had his head turned, making it impossible to hold onto his services. As reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post, Warnock said: “I can honestly say that in all my time in football I’ve never worked so hard to keep a player. He’s made it clear what he wants to do, and he’s had his head turned.”

While it was not surprising that the Scotland international wanted Premier League football, what is surprising is the fee which brought him to Carrow Road; the reported £3m for a 24-year-old with 13 goals and 15 assists in a Championship season is truly obscene.

When comparing other notable transfers during the same season, Leeds fans will want to cover their eyes. When you consider that Matt Jarvis and Jordan Rhodes were sold for £10.75m and £8m respectively, Norwich must have been laughing.

Although Snodgrass never hit the highs of his Championship numbers, the winger still produced a respectable number of contributions for the club. During his two seasons with the Canaries, the Scot scored 14 goals and assisted 12 times in 74 appearances.

During his spell at Carrow Road, Snodgrass was one of the stand-out performers and finished the 2013/14 Premier League campaign as the club’s joint top scorer. He will always be remembered fondly for his flair, eye for goal and true Scottish grit.

Snodgrass went on to have spells at Hull City and Aston Villa, and enjoyed a Premier League stint at West Ham United. The winger announced his retirement earlier this year at age 36, having played over 500 games at club level.

As far as deals go, they do not get much better than the £3m Norwich paid for Snodgrass, especially when compared to similar deals at the time.

Having been prolific in the EFL, Snodgrass went on to make his mark in the Premier League with Norwich before spells at several other reputable clubs.

The winger will be remembered fondly by fans of Norwich and Leeds alike, having retired earlier this year.