Sheffield United were keen to buy a forward, and Scott Hogan was said to be on their radar.
Sheffield United were on the look out for a new forward for much of the previous transfer window and Hogan was on their wishlist.
However, the Blades were unable to do a deal, as Hogan was told he had to stay at Villa.
Hogan has not been used at all regularly this season, leaving him frustrated that a potential move to Bramall Lane fell through.
“I knocked on his [Steve Bruce’s] door a couple of days before the window shut just to find out what was going on,” Hogan said. “Sheff United were very interested.
“I wasn’t allowed to leave. He was adamant that he didn’t want me to go, he said I had a future playing as a striker and I was assured we were going to change the way we were playing.”
But a change of management at Villa has provided Hogan with reason for optimism for the future.
Hogan joined Villa on a £12 million deal (Daily Mail), and Sheffield United would have been hoping to get him a cut price, if they were to do a deal.
The Blades don’t have those sort of funds to spend on one player, although they did bring in a considerable amount of money from the sale of David Brooks.
Villa’s new boss is Dean Smith, who Hogan thrived under at Brentford earlier in his career.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
