West Brom have made contact over a move for Aston Villa midfielder Conor Hourihane, according to Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Hourihane in the Championship

The 31-year-old has only made six Villa appearances over the last two seasons, plying his trade on loan in the Championship with both Swansea City and Sheffield United.

Labelled as ‘excellent’ by Steve Cooper last season, Hourihane has suffered playoff heartbreak in both campaigns. He’s out of contract at Villa Park at the end of June, and it looks as if another stint in the second-tier is on the cards for the Irishman.

The Latest: Source shares update

Football Insider shared an update regarding West Brom and Hourihane early on Thursday morning after being informed by a Baggies source. They claimed that Villa’s rivals have registered their interest, with Steve Bruce a ‘big admirer’ of the central midfielder.

A Villa Park exit is expected as Hourihane isn’t in line to receive a new deal under Steven Gerrard, meaning he can leave for nothing.

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The Verdict: Makes sense?

Hourihane played a key role in helping Villa to the Premier League and was a regular in the 2019/20 campaign as Dean Smith’s side narrowly avoided the drop.

An exit over the coming weeks does seem to make sense, though, with NSWE and Villa looking to go to the next level under Gerrard by spending over £150m ahead of his first full season in charge.

A short trip to The Hawthorns could be the right move for the midfielder, and if a deal goes through, he’ll be looking to earn promotion to the Premier League once again.

In other news: Journo reveals Villa now eyeing 'surprise' move for 201-goal attacking midfielder