West Brom are not monitoring Conor Hourihane, despite reports claiming the Aston Villa midfielder is a target.

New boss Valerien Ismael has wasted little time in making new additions to the squad, with Alex Mowatt and Matt Clarke joining Albion in the summer window so far.

Fans will feel that more areas of the pitch need to be strengthened and it had been suggested that Hourihane could be a target.

The left-footer is entering the final year of his deal at Villa Park and the fact he was loaned out to Swansea in the previous campaign shows he is down the pecking order under Dean Smith.

Therefore, a summer move is surely on the cards for the Ireland international but Express & Star reporter Joseph Masi gave a clear response when he was quizzed on Hourihane's potential arrival by a fan on Twitter.

"From what I am hearing Albion aren't interested in him."

The initial reports also suggested that Hourihane is a target for Sheffield United, with the 30-year-old catching the eye following his performances for the Swans that helped them reach the play-off final.

The verdict

This is a blow for Albion fans as most clubs in the Championship would love to sign Hourihane because he has shown in the past that he's a top player at this level.

Nevertheless, you could argue that he isn't someone Albion desperately need following the arrival of Alex Mowatt who has similar qualities to the Irishman.

It will be interesting to see if Hourihane does secure a move away this summer and of Ismael does bring in another midfielder during the transfer window.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.