Former Premier League player set for Derby County medical | OneFootball

Free agent Conor Hourihane is moving closer to joining Derby County, it has been claimed.

As per respected journalist Pete O’Rourke, the former Aston Villa man is set for a medical with the Rams ahead of his move to the League One club.

The Republic of Ireland international is a free agent having seen his Villa contract expire at the end of last month.

Last campaign, the 31-year-old midfielder spent the season on loan at Sheffield United, making a total of 30 appearances for the Blades.

The season prior, Hourihane was loaned to Swansea City for the second half of the 2020/21 season, playing a key role for the Welsh club as they pushed for promotion via the play-offs, with their bid ultimately falling short at the final hurdle.

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Derby have certainly wasted no time in making some much-needed additions to their squad following the completion of their takeover over the weekend.

If announced at the time of writing, Hourihane would be their fourth signing of the summer after deals for Joe Wildsmith, Tom Barkhuizen and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing were confirmed.

The Verdict

This is a cracking signing for Derby County.

Hourihane has experience of playing at the sharp end of the Championship over the last two seasons, so to lure him down to League One is somewhat of a coup for the Rams.

Liam Rosenior is putting together a really strong squad at Pride Park ahead of the League One campaign.

With the addition of Hourihane, and more reportedly in the pipeline, the Rams may find themselves competing for an immediate return to the Championship in 2022/23.