Swansea City are lining up a move to bring defender Steven Caulker back to the Liberty Stadium, sources close to the Welsh club have told ESPN FC.

Swansea, who sacked manager Bob Bradley on Tuesday, have the worst defensive record in the Premier League and are languishing second from bottom of the table.

The Swans have conceded 41 goals in 18 games, with the side shipping 29 of those goals in Bradley's 11 games in charge, and they are looking at defensive reinforcements to try to shore up their porous defence.

Queens Park Rangers defender Caulker has emerged as a top target after impressing in a loan spell at Swansea from Tottenham Hotspur in the 2011-12 season.

Steven Caulker is currently with Championship strugglers Queens Park Rangers. Rob Newell - CameraSport via Getty Images

Caulker, who turns 25 on Thursday, made 26 appearances to help keep the club up in their first season in the Premier League and established himself as one of the best young centre-backs in the country.

After leaving Swansea, Caulker joined their arch-rivals Cardiff City for one season before then making the move to Queens Park Rangers.

But his career has stalled after QPR's relegation to the Championship and he endured two unsuccessful loan spells at Southampton and Liverpool last season.

Caulker has made 14 appearances for QPR so far this season, but with the club struggling at the wrong end of the Championship they could consider cashing in on the player to fund signings in the January transfer window.