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Aston Villa's pursuit of Wes Hoolahan has taken a fresh twist after Norwich City rejected a transfer request from the want-away playmaker.

Hoolahan has also issued a statement confirming that he wants to “move on and play my football elsewhere.”

As reported in the Birmingham Mail, Hoolahan told the Canaries he was keen to leave earlier this month with the 31-year-old midfielder eager to link up with his former boss Paul Lambert at Villa.

Norwich denied that a formal request had been handed in back then, but confirmed on Tuesday night that Hoolahan had now made official his desire to quit the club.

Hoolahan, who still has 18 months of his contract to run, broke his silence on his future, issuing a statement saying: “Following a meeting with the club chief executive, I felt I had no option but to hand in a transfer request.

“I have noted that request has been turned down - however I believe it is in the best interest of Norwich, for whom I have the greatest respect, and myself that I am allowed to move on and play my football elsewhere.”

Norwich have emphasised that none of the club’s players will be sold against their wishes.

In a statement on their website on Tuesday night, the Carrow Road club said: “City can confirm Irish international midfielder Wes Hoolahan has today submitted a transfer request which has been rejected.

“The board of Norwich City has stated clearly no senior players will be sold against the Club’s wishes and Hoolahan, 31, is contracted to the club until June 2015.

“The club will make no further comment at this time.”

Villa, who had a bid for Hoolahan rejected, have earmarked alternative targets for the No.10 role Lambert has made his priority, conscious of the difficulty of dealing with Norwich because of the bad blood between the two clubs.

The relationship, already strained following Lambert’s switch from Carrow Road to Villa Park in June 2012, became even more fractious during the tribunal to decide the value of Jed Steer following the goalkeeper’s move to Villa last summer.

Norwich have made it clear they do not want to discuss selling Hoolahan to Villa, but the Irish international, who has been in Canaries squads, but has not played the offer was made in the first weekend in January, is determined to push through a move to the claret and blues.