Sheffield United: Concrete contract offer unlikely to be made until the summer
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The midfielder, on loan from Aston Villa, is approaching the end of his contract with the Premier League club and confessed earlier this week that an extension will not be forthcoming.
Although Paul Heckingbottom is minded to try and keep Hourihane, the United manager has stated repeatedly of late that decisions on other members of his squad also approaching the end of their present deals are unlikely to be taken until after the final match of the campaign.
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Hide AdWith captain Billy Sharp, fellow striker David McGoldrick and defender Chris Basham among those in the same position, the chances of United prioritising negotiations with Hourihane appear slim - despite Heckingbottom’s admiration for the Republic of Ireland international.
After praising the partnership Hourihane has developed with Oliver Norwood, Heckingbottom has signalled he is keen to try and persuade the 31-year-old to remain in South Yorkshire. Despite being signed by Slavisa Jokanovic last summer, 12 of Hourihane’s 15 starts for United have come since Heckingbottom succeeded the Serb in November.
The two men previously worked together at Barnsley, helping to deliver both a promotion from League One and the EFL Trophy to Oakwell before going their separate ways.
Hourihane’s rise to prominence has coincided with a dramatic upturn in fortunes for United, with Heckingbottom leading them from 16th the fifth in the table following last weekend’s victory over his former club.