Sunderland have announced the signing of Joleon Lescott on a deal until the end of the season.What's the word?After training with the Black Cats for a short spell, the 34-year-old has been offered a contract by manager David Moyes.

Lescott had been out of work since his contract at Greek side AEK Athens was terminated early in November.

Prior to his move abroad, the defender spent a season at Aston Villa, but it did not end well as he fell out with the fans after a tweet of an expensive sports car was posted to his account just hours after the team were beaten 6-0 by Liverpool.

Sunderland are in need of defensive cover as they are expected to be without Papy Djilobodji for the next four games after he was charged with violent conduct by the Football Association.

The Guardian reports that Patrick van Aanholt could be on his way out, with Crystal Palace keen to seal a £12m capture.

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Why Lescott's arrival proves the cupboard is bare.

Moyes has repeatedly stated that there were limited funds available for spending this January, despite the club being in need of fresh recruits.

The Black Cats currently sit at the bottom of the Premier League table, three points from safety after losing 15 of their 22 fixtures, and winning just four.

Only Hull City and Swansea City have a worse defensive record than Sunderland, who have had 42 goals shipped past them.

Lescott is certainly not the long-term answer to Sunderland's defensive woes, but can he do a job for the next four months?

He has vast Premier League experience having played for Villa, West Bromwich Albion, Manchester City and Everton in his career.

However, in his recent brush with relegation, he was unable to help Villa remain in the top flight, and various behaviours off the pitch resulted in the fans turning against him.

A positive, though, is that Moyes knows Lescott very well having coached him for three seasons at Everton, so maybe he can get the best out of the defender.

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