Sign up NOW for our daily Villa newsletter direct to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Aston Villa target Wes Hoolahan has stunned Norwich City by handing in a transfer request in an attempt to force through his reunion with Paul Lambert.

Hoolahan is determined to quit the Canaries and link up with his former manager again after the claret and blues lodged a £1.5 million bid.

Norwich have yet to respond to Villa’s weekend offer with the boardroom relationship between the clubs still strained following Lambert’s bitter departure from Carrow Road in the summer of 2012.

But Hoolahan took matters into his own hands on Tuesday by submitting a transfer request and telling his team-mates he never wants to play for Norwich again.

Lambert has spoken of his desire to recruit a playmaker and has made the 31-year-old Irish international his top target, having enjoyed success with him at Carrow Road and also worked with him at Livingston.

However, Hoolahan’s move to Villa could be complicated with Norwich expected to dig their heels in rather than doing business with Villa.

The former Blackpool player is a fans’ favourite at Carrow Road, but has been used sparingly by Chris Hughton this season, making just eight league and cup starts and four substitute appearances.

Hoolahan, who has 18 months left on his contract, was left out of Norwich’s FA Cup draw against Fulham on Saturday, with Hughton insisting the player was carrying an unspecified injury. He denied any knowledge of a Villa bid .

Lambert confirmed Villa wanted a “No.10” style player at the weekend and former Villa favourite Steve Froggatt reckons Hoolahan is a good fit for the club, considering their transfer policy.

“I do think Wes Hoolahan is better than what they’ve got and he would be that missing link they don’t have,” said Froggatt.

“We’re talking about £1.5 million players. Ultimately whatever happens in the transfer window there is not an unlimited budget.

“Wes is a good player. I think Paul has said that they need a creative midfielder and they haven’t got one, we’ve seen it all season.

“Someone that will play between the lines, a bit further up that will link the play. Like when Paul Merson played in his day at Villa Park.

“You want your players in the middle of the park that can pass the ball. You need somebody with that little bit of X Factor that can actually create chances.”

Froggatt reckons a player like Hoolahan would help to bring the best out of Christian Benteke, who has been starved of service during much of his 12 game goal drought.

“To be fair to Benteke, I know he did miss some chances against Sheffield United, but throughout the course of the season he hasn’t had anywhere near enough quality into him for him to score plenty of goals and I think the lads up front will really benefit from having a player like that.”

Meanwhile, Jores Okore has confirmed that he hopes to be back in action by March or April as he steps up his recovery from the serious knee injury he suffered just four games into his Villa career.

The Danish international centre-half ruptured his cruciate ligament in the defeat to Newcastle last September and has tweeted: “People are asking “when I’m back playing”

I’ll be back playing in 2-3 months time.”