OPINION
Aston Villa midfielder Conor Hourihane is reportedly interesting Premier League new boys Brighton this summer after he scored a hat-trick against Norwich on Saturday.
The Sun’s transfer expert Alan Nixon claimed on his personal Twitter account that the Seagulls are interested in handing Ireland international Hourihane a chance to shine in the Premier League.
It is said that they were confident of luring the Villa midfielder to the south coast, but after the 26-year-old smashed home an impressive hat-trick during Saturday’s 4-2 triumph over the Canaries, a move is now less likely to go through.
The former Barnsley captain started the season well down the pecking order at Villa Park, with the likes of Glenn Whelan, Henri Lansbury and Leandro Bacuna all starting ahead of him.
But returning to the side following the sale of Bacuna, Hourihane has shone in claret and blue for the Midlands giants and could now be kept at Villa Park by manager Steve Bruce.
Here, This Is Futbol considers what kind of sale would benefit Villa, and whether a deal is still likely to be achieved.
Good move for Aston Villa?
It all depends on the figure. Hourihane has failed to shine since his January move from Villa, but yesterday’s match was the first sign of the Irishman producing his brilliant best.
Bruce has admitted himself this month that he wants to spend money this summer but simply cannot as he does not have the funds, and the hat-trick could have bumped up Hourihane’s price by a million pounds, or two.
Hourihane signed for Villa for a fee of £3million back in January, but Villa could offload the midfielder in order to give them funds to bolster other areas of the squad with a new winger needed.
If the Midlands outfit could rake in more than double that figure, then they would be getting a good deal. However, Hourihane still has plenty to offer Villa and should only be offloaded if Bruce can find an adequate replacement.
This Is Futbol rating: 4/10.
Likely to happen?
Hourihane’s head is likely to have been turned by the chance to join Brighton and play against the country’s best this season, with Villa’s chances of promotion taking an early hit.
Just one win in four has seen the club’s rivals take an early advantage, and Hourihane may feel he has a better chance of becoming a Premier League regular by joining Brighton’s fight against the drop.
In the peak of his career, Hourihane still has plenty of his career left ahead of him but he may feel that this is his best chance to play top-tier football.
Villa seem to be desperate to keep him, but the midfielder could become unsettled and Villa may have to cash in on the former Plymouth star.
This Is Futbol rating: 7/10.