Swansea City want to sign Aston Villa's Conor Hourihane on loan this month as Steve Cooper's side eye Premier League promotion.
The Swans are second in the Championship and just four points off table-toppers Norwich following their 12-game winning start from 23 matches played.
The Welsh club lost Morgan Gibbs-White last week after Wolves recalled the talented midfielder from his spell at the Liberty Stadium.
As for Hourihane, the Republic of Ireland international has been an unused sub for Dean Smith for the last six Premier League matches and has dropped further down Villa's midfield pecking order following the emergence of 19-year-old Jacob Ramsey.
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Hourihane's Premier League prospects are even slimmer now given Ross Barkley is now back fit following a lengthy lay-off with a hamstring injury.
Our colleagues at Wales Online have provided the following update surrounding 29-year-old Hourihane and Swansea's interest:
Swansea correspondent Ian Mitchelmore said: "Understand Swansea are interested in a loan move for Aston Villa's Conor Hourihane. Nothing agreed between the two clubs and the player, but he's someone that features on the Swans' transfer wish list. Looks like one that would make sense for all parties though."
Hourihane's three previous seasons in the Championship has seen him chalk up a staggering 54 goal involvements in 126 appearances.
Here's our take on Hourihane's predicament, a player who's had an incredibly successful 150-appearance career at Villa to date:
Hourihane more than deserves to go out on his own terms should he wish. From the pinpoint deliveries to the scorching strikes in claret and blue, he's been an excellent servant and deserves to be playing week in, week out. He turns 30 in a fortnight as well. Villa fans, I'm sure, wouldn't begrudge Hourihane if he did decide enough was enough and for him to rebuild his career elsewhere.
Knowing Hourihane, he's a player who's come back from off the canvas throughout his career - from Sunderland and Ipswich rejection to reaching the Premier League - and he could well do that in a Villa shirt once more should he wish to stay on and fight. Smith and Villa will be reluctant to let him go but Hourihane has earned the right given his exploits to date to make his own decision in this window or the next.
Villa and Smith, meanwhile, will be reluctant to let Hourihane depart this month given the ongoing Covid outbreak amongst the first-team bubble which has seen nine unnamed first-team players contract the virus. Hourihane is currently behind Barkley, John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Ramsey and Nakamba in terms of Smith's midfield pecking order. Captain Jack Grealish has operated in a central position as well this season.
Aston Villa are next in Premier League action on Wednesday, January 20 against Man City.