Reports claim the Premier League is investigating a breach of the Robert Snodgrass transfer agreement between West Ham and West Brom, and the rule in question has a distinctly American flavor.
Sam Allardyce’s Baggies acquired Snodgrass, 33, from West Ham on January 8 and the Scotland international made his West Brom debut on Saturday against Wolves.
Although the move is a permanent move and not a loan, the West Brom social media team tweeted that Snodgrass was not available for the Baggies on Tuesday due to a deal between the two clubs.
[ MORE: West Ham 2-1 West Brom ]
And that can be a big no-no.
The PL are said to be looking into the matter and The Athletic has said such permanent ‘Okay but he can’t play against us’ transfers have been banned since Tim Howard moved from Everton to Manchester United.
Howard initially joined Everton on loan in the summer of 2006. When the two clubs negotiated a permanent transfer in February 2007, the deal contained a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ that he would not play against United later in the campaign. His understudy Iain Turner was in Everton’s goal in that game, which United won 4-2, taking a big step towards the Premier League title.
“The Premier League felt that the integrity of the competition could be compromised if a club were allowed to dictate the availability of a player from another club after selling him.”
Players on loan, of course, aren’t allowed to face their host clubs in the Premier League, but that’s a different animal.
It seems unlikely that either party would face a heavy penalty – perhaps a fine is in order – but it certainly gave rise to an odd subplot. Snodgrass could have made the difference in a relatively close competition.
That said, we’re sure there have been instances where clubs waited to execute a transfer until they played. And there were probably nodding examples just like the incident on Tuesday, it’s just Allardyce couldn’t help but say it out loud.
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