Could Bruce appointment help Aston Villa land reported target Hourihane from Barnsley?

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Steve Bruce is the current favourite to replace Roberto Di Matteo at Villa Park.

Former Birmingham City boss Steve Bruce is the early favourite to succeed Roberto Di Matteo as Aston Villa manager and the 55-year-old could inadvertently lead the Villans to one of their transfer targets.

Bruce has a penchant for re-signing former players, as ex-Blues Sebastian Larsson, Nicklas Bendtner and David Meyler – among others – will testify.

And, promisingly, the former Manchester United defender has ties to one of the Championship’s top performers this season, who just so happens to have been linked with a move to Villa Park last month.

The Villans aren’t the only club keen on Barnsley’s Conor Hourihane, but Bruce’s presence could help the club to clinch a deal for the midfielder ahead of others, including Wigan Athletic and Glasgow pair Celtic and Rangers (Irish Sun).

The Geordie boss was Hourihane’s gaffer at Sunderland at the start of the decade, and tried to keep the Irishman at the end of his contract, only for the player to re-join Roy Keane at Ipswich Town.

Hourihane failed to appear for the Tractor Boys however, later moving to Plymouth Argyle and then Barnsley.

Based on how he’s fared so far – three goals, four assists – you’d never have guessed this is his first taste of first team football above the third tier.

Incidentally, those tallies are more than Villa’s entire midfield has managed combined (three goals, two assists) – while Hourihane has also out-passed each one of his Villans counterparts individually.

It’s hard to imagine Bruce wouldn’t be keen on Hourihane, and with four promotions on his own CV, the feeling is likely to be mutual.