Hourihane completes loan move to Championship promotion hopefuls

Aston Villa midfielder Conor Hourihane has joined Swansea on loan for the rest of the season.

The 29-year-old Republic of Ireland international could make his Swans debut in Saturday’s FA Cup fourth round tie at home to fellow Sky Bet Championship club Nottingham Forest.

He has scored 29 goals in 150 appearances for Villa since joining from Barnsley in January 2017 but has been restricted to just four Premier League outings this campaign.

Villa head coach Dean Smith told his club’s website: “Conor is never happy when he’s not playing and we have respected his desire to go on loan to Swansea to play football games and to help them in their push for promotion.

“It’s a loan until the end of the season which gets him back in the heart of a promotion chase and playing regular football.”

Swansea currently sit second in the Championship following their 2-0 weekend win at Barnsley.

 

 

His arrival at the Liberty Stadium boosts the midfield options of Swans head coach Steve Cooper after former loanees Kasey Palmer and Morgan Gibbs-White were recalled by Bristol City and Wolves respectively earlier this month.

Villa wanted Hourihane to stay

TEAMtalk exclusively revealed on Saturday that Boro and the Swansea were keen and Villa were willing to let him leave.

He was a regular in the team during Villa’s spell in the Championship, but has struggled for games this season

The Villa boss did admit earlier this week that Hourihane wanted to move, despite Smith telling him he wanted him to stay.

Smith said: “There’s a possibility of some outs too [this month]. I’d like Conor Hourihane to stay but he’s come to see me a few times saying he wants to go out and play games.

“We will look at the possibility of clubs. It will be a loan until the end of the season.”

Hourihane, who has been capped 24 times by his country, launched his professional career with Plymouth following spells on the books of Sunderland and Ipswich.