Sheffield Wednesday have had a £1.25 million bid rejected by Barnsley for their star man, Conor Hourihane, according to The Irish Sun.

The Irish midfielder has attracted interest from Wednesday's Championship rivals, Aston Villa, who are believed to have offered Hourihane a mega contract, four times what he is currently earning.

Hourihane's current deal at Barnsley expires at the end of the season and the midfielder has held talks over extending his contract at Oakwell, although a move this month does seem to be the most likely solution.

Barnsley may well be hoping for a bidding war between Villa and Sheffield Wendesday in order to drive the price up for Hourihane.

Villa are in desperate need of centre midfielders and Hourihane is near the top of Steve Bruce's target list, it would be expected that Villa would go back and better the Owls £1.25 million bid, which is exactly what the Tykes were hoping for.

The Barnsley midfielder has undoubtedly been one of the surprise, emerging stars from the Sky Bet Championship, and it is no surprise to see him linked with the likes of Villa and Wednesday.

Sheffield Wednesday fans... Would you like to see Hourihane sign? Is he better than what you currently have? Barnsley fans... Will you be disappointed to see Hourihane leave? Who would you replace him with? Let us know your thoughts below!