Aston Villa must address their defensive crisis, and ease the pressure on head coach Steve Bruce, by re-signing John Terry on a free transfer.

What's the word, then?

It is ironic that Bruce seems to have something against central defenders when considering that he made his name in that position during a successful playing career.

The Villa boss allowed Tommy Elphick to leave on loan in the latter stages of the window, and failed to push through a deal for Frenchman Harold Moukoudi, which has left the Championship outfit incredibly short at centre-back.

Mile Jedinak continues to be selected alongside James Chester in that area of the field, and the Villa fans are becoming increasingly frustrated with Bruce's desire to play the Australian.

Villa are also now five games without a win in all competitions, and suffered a heavy 4-1 loss at Sheffield United in the Championship on September 1.

Things cannot continue as they are, and the Villa board must do all they can to bring Terry back to the club.

Why should Villa re-sign Terry?

Terry joined Villa last summer following his release from Chelsea, and the former England captain was outstanding during the 2017-18 campaign.

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Indeed, the centre-back made 36 appearances in all competitions, and formed a solid partnership with Chester.

The 37-year-old left Villa Park at the end of last season with the club unable to offer him a new contract due to their financial problems.

Things have changed since then, however, and Villa are certainly in a better position to re-sign Terry due to the investment that has arrived.

The 6ft 2in defender is clearly coming to the end of his professional career, but his presence in the dressing room has been sorely missed, and he would be able to bring a very talented squad together during a difficult period.

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