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Aston Villa have enquired about taking Leicester City's Christian Fuchs on loan until the end of the season.

Villa are short of cover at left-back and boss Dean Smith has identified the former Austrian international as the man to help the club's promotion push.

Fuchs, 32, has been kept out of the picture at the King Power Stadium by Claude Puel's decision to promote Ben Chilwell to the first-team.

And that has paid off spectacularly as the home-grown youngster has progressed to England's senior squad.

Villa have Neil Taylor as their only recognised defender in that area and although Alan Hutton has deputised on that side in the Welshman's absence through injury, it has upset the balance in Smith's rearguard.

(Image: PA)

Fuchs was given a hefty pay rise following Leicester's shock title win two years ago and wouldn't arrive on the cheap.

Leicester would want Villa to pay all of his contract – reportedly in the £60,000-a-week range - if they were to allow the deal to go ahead.

(Image: Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)

For his part, Fuchs would welcome the chance to play regular first-team football and if any arrangement was organised to be financially attractive for him, then he may look to cut his ties with the former Premier League champs.

The player, whose wife is American, has made little secret of his desire to live Stateside in the future and it was only the offer of a fresh pay hike back in 2016 that saw his plans put temporarily on hold.

He is out-of-contract anyway in the summer and is likely to resume his career in Major League Soccer at the end of this campaign.