Thursday 19 January 2017 12:46, UK
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce is keen on signing Barnsley captain Conor Hourihane, according to Sky sources.
The 25-year-old has been one of the outstanding performers in the Championship this season, scoring five times in 24 league appearances.
Hourihane's current Barnsley deal expires in the summer and he is expected to cost somewhere in the region of £1m,
Signed from Plymouth Argyle in 2014, the Irish midfielder's form has caught the attention of a number of clubs in the Championship.
Hourihane's consistent displays have played a key role in helping Barnsley to 10th in the table, seven points behind Sheffield Wednesday in the play-off places
Yet he is one of several players within Paul Heckingbottom's squad who have impressed and a number of other Oakwell players are also out of contract in the summer.
Among those is highly-rated right-back James Bree, 21, who has made 21 appearances in all competitions for Barnsley since the summer.
