Celtic and Norwich are reportedly pursuing Barnsley midfielder Conor Hourihane.
Conor Hourihane celebrates scoring for Barnsley
According to The Sun, Barnsley could sell midfielder Conor Hourihane for £500,000 during the January transfer window – with Norwich City and Celtic both interested.
Hourihane, 25, joined Barnsley from Plymouth Argyle in the summer of 2014, and hit 14 goals in his first season at the club to become an Oakwell hero.
The Irishman – formerly of Sunderland and Ipswich Town – hit another 11 goals last term as Barnsley won promotion to the Championship, and he’s remained a key player for Paul Heckingbottom’s side in the second tier this term.
However, the Barnsley skipper is out of contract at the end of the season, and despite telling Radio Yorkshire that talks over a new deal have begun, his future may lie away from Oakwell.
Barnsley’s Conor Hourihane celebrates after winning the Sky Bet Football League One Play-Off Final
The Sun report that Barnsley could choose to cash in on Hourihane for around £500,000 in January, rather than risk losing him for nothing at the end of the season.
It’s claimed that Norwich City boss Alex Neil is an admirer of Hourihane, and wants a January deal for the midfielder to aid his attempts to win promotion back to the Premier League.
Barnsley’s Conor Hourihane celebrates with the trophy after winning the Sky Bet Football League One Play-Off Final
However, Neil isn’t alone in his pursuit of Hourihane. The report adds that Celtic are also keen on Hourihane, with manager Brendan Rodgers keen to strengthen his squad in the January transfer window.
Given that Hourihane has previously suggested on Twitter that he’s something of a Celtic fan, a move to Glasgow could be very appealing to the midfielder, but Norwich could swoop in and get there before the Bhoys, with Hourihane facing a major decision over his future in 2017.
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