Aston Villa transfer news: Steve Bruce set to join hunt for Conor Hourihane

The highly-rated 25-year-old is reported to be the subject of a £1million bid from the Owls and Villa are ready to make a rival offer, with boss Steve Bruce desperate to bolster his options in the middle of the park.

Villa are hopeful of completing a deal for Nottingham Forest midfielder Henri Lansbury before the end of the month, while the Bruce has also confirmed an interest in Norwich City's Robbie Brady.

They have missed out, however, on Leicester City winger Jeffrey Schlupp, who is poised to join Crystal Palace in a £12million deal.

Villa were prepared to spend big on the 24-year-old, who was also a target for Albion.

But Bruce admitted the pull of remaining in the Premier League ultimately saw them miss out and will hope for better in the pursuit of Hourihane, who he previously managed at Sunderland.

Barnsley are currently eighth in the Championship and Hourihane, who has scored five goals and played a key role in their success, is out of contract in the summer.

Bruce is meanwhile staying patient on Lansbury, whose future remains up in the air due to an ongoing takeover at Forest. Villa have made a £3million bid for the 26-year-old but Bruce has indicated he is prepared to wait until the summer, if necessary, to get a deal done.

Manchester United goalkeeper Sam Johnstone remains Villa's only signing of the window to date having joined on loan and Bruce confirmed the club were working on several other deals.

"We've got the irons in fire for a few," he said. "I'm not just going to sign them for the sake of it because we've done that far too often.

"If they're available and we can get the right ones we will be in a position to act.

"But if they're not then I've got to be brave enough to leave it to the summer because in January it's difficult.

"You can't always get the players you want. You have to be patient and wait because if you don't and you fill up your squad just for the sake of it, you're in that vicious circle.

"We don't want to be drawn into that.

"Schlupp for example we tried but unfortunately the lure of the Premier League and the wages of the Premier league we've lost out. But that sort of quality is what we're looking for."

"£10million-rated Brady, who has been the subject of offers from Burnley and Leicester, previously played under Bruce at Hull.

He said: "I've signed Robbie. I took him on loan from Man United to Hull – signed him and really liked him.

"We paid £2.5million back in the day. He'd be a little bit more that that now. If he became available now we might be interested."