Aston Villa have reportedly been in contact with James Collins about a potential trial with the Championship side.

Aston Villa have been in contact with James Collins and offered the defender the chance to train with Steve Bruce’s side as the Villans weigh up whether to hand the centre-back a contract, according to a report from Birmingham Live.

The Welshman remains a free agent after leaving West Ham at the end of last season. The report suggests that he has been working with Ipswich Town, but is more interested in a switch to Villa Park.

And it appears that not signing a contract with the Tractor Boys could be about to pay off. Birmingham Live reports that Bruce has made contact with the veteran and invited him to train with the side in the coming weeks.

The report adds that Bruce will consider whether the club will hand Collins a contract while he is on trial.

With Collins keen on a return to the Midlands side, it would probably now not be a surprise if he did end up agreeing some sort of deal with the Championship high-flyers at some stage.

It has the potential to be a deal that will divide the supporters. Collins would bring a wealth of experience with him if he did join and Villa seriously lack options at the heart of their defence.

But he is clearly not the long-term solution to a problem that should have undoubtedly been resolved in the summer when John Terry left the club at the end of his contract.

Aston Villa will be hoping to follow up their win over Rotherham in midweek when they host Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday. They could potentially move up to third with a win.

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