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Aston Villa are considering signing free agent James Collins after he joined the club in training, The Telegraph reports.

What's the word?

Steve Bruce's Aston Villa managed to stop the rot in midweek by securing their first clean sheet in eight Championship matches against Rotherham, while a 2-0 win also ended a five-match winless streak for the promotion hopefuls.

Villa are now looking to find consistency on the field to secure a sequence of results that will improve their chances of a return to the Premier League but Bruce is considering further defensive reinforcements to bolster his squad.

The Telegraph reports that former West Ham man James Collins has joined the club for training and Bruce is considering signing the veteran Wales international on a free transfer, as he seeks an experienced option at the back.

A good fit?

Aston Villa's defensive woes have been well documented this season and the fact that the transfer window is shut means that Bruce has an extremely limited list of options if he is to land another defender - and Collins may be the best of the lot.

The 35-year-old would fill a void that was left by John Terry's departure last year and, although not a long-term solution, would prove to be the perfect stop-gap until next summer - when Villa could look to bring Gary Cahill back to the club - as they look to hunt Leeds United and Middlesbrough down at the top of the Championship standings.

The Birmingham Mail has stated Cahill is a target for Villa when the 32-year-old's contract expires at Chelsea next summer and would be the ideal addition for Bruce's side if they are to secure a return to the top-flight.

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