With Robbie Brady's time at Norwich is all but finished, a number of clubs - including four from the Premier League - have their eye on Ireland's Euro 2016 hero.
For the most part, Norwich fans want Brady gone; Canaries correspondent and football writer Paddy Davitt told us last week that, "we've seen never the Robbie Brady that plays for Ireland in a Norwich shirt" - a sentiment echoed by many supporters amidst the Dub's patchy form and disinterested demeanour this season.
Of the six clubs interested in taking Brady off Norwich's hands, a move to two would see the 24-year-old remain in the Championship. Newcastle will surely bounce straight back up this season, but another suitor in Aston Villa lies 12th, seven points off the playoff spots.
As unattractive a move to England's second city might look from the offset, Villa and manager Steve Bruce have probably made the most noise about accruing Brady's services. That is to say that Bruce has actually spoken about the topic out loud and in public.
At his press conference earlier today, Bruce admitted he was intrigued by the prospect of linking back up with Brady, whom he first signed on loan from Manchester United while in charge of Hull:
If he became available now we might be interested. I’ve signed Robbie before.
I took him on loan from Man United to Hull – signed him and really liked him.
I paid £2.5m back in the day but he’d be worth a little bit more that that now!
It’s always difficult for me to speak about other players though because I don’t like it myself.
It's always difficult to claim it's difficult to speak about other players after speaking about other players, but Steve Bruce has long-since mastered that dark art.
Away from Brady, Villa are also keeping their eye on Barnsley captain Conor Hourihane, the Cork man who has been arguably the Championship's best performer this season with five goals and 11 assists from central midfield.
Sheffield Wednesday are also in the hunt for the former Douglas Hall man, though Villa are understood to be willing to pay Hourihane a salary of up to £28,000 per week [The Sun], which would likely sway things in their favour.
25-year-old Hourihane worked under Bruce at Sunderland, where the former came through the ranks.
