Report: Aston Villa play hardball as Brighton target Conor Hourihane

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Aston Villa’s Conor Hourihane is a man in demand after a stunning hat-trick against Norwich City on Saturday.

Aston Villa fans were made to wait to see the best of Connor Hourihane but Saturday’s clinical hat-trick in the 4-2 thrashing of Norwich City finally offered an indication of the playmaker’s undoubted qualities.

Villa paid £3 million to land the former Barnsley captain in January (The Mirror) after a sublime start to the season with The Tykes but it’s fair to say he did not manage to immediately replicate that impact in claret and blue.

Hourihane only scored two goals and set up another three in 19 Championship games prior to his match-winning display against Daniel Farke’s Canaries this weekend, though Villa supporters will now be hoping he can find the consistency that made him arguably the league’s best midfielder at Barnsley.

However, according to The Sun (August 20^th, page 60), Premier League newcomers Brighton and Hove Albion hope that Hourihane’s hat-trick is his last act in Villa colours. Because the report claims that The Seagulls will make an initial £4 million offer for the Republic of Ireland international.

Hourihane has never played in the Premier League despite being released by Sunderland as a youngster, and anyone who watched his metronomic displays at Oakwell will suggest that he deserves a chance at a higher level.

Understandably, however, Villa are hoping he can lead them to promotion first. The Birmingham Mail reports that Villa are determined to keep the January signing at the club and would not have given thought to his potential exit even before he fired three past Norwich.

His boss Steve Bruce is understandably a big fan and will be unlikely to approve his departure.

“When we bought him from Barnsley he’d got the top assists in the league and he still finished with the top assists,” he told the Birmingham Mail.

“We always knew he was a good young player to have around the place and that bit of confidence came oozing out today when he scored his goal. He’s got four in a week which is terrific stuff.”