Aston Villa could be set to swoop for former Tottenham Hotspur defender Steven Caulker, according to West London Sport.
Villa boss Steve Bruce has made no secret of his desire to add a centre-back to his ranks and recently admitted defeat in the race to sign former England captain John Terry.
Caulker has been without a club since leaving Dundee on Deadline Day but could be set to return to England after Bruce reportedly expressed interest in handing a trial to the towering defender.
After ascending the youth ranks of Tottenham Hotspur, Caulker joined Cardiff City after various loan spells away from White Hart Lane. Queens Park Rangers swooped for him a year later and he enjoyed stints at Southampton and Liverpool whilst on the books at Loftus Road.
Capped once by the England senior team in 2012, Caulker’s career has somewhat stalled and he spoke frankly about his battles with mental illness and addiction in 2017.
His time in Scotland, however, was a success and he established himself as an integral part of Neil McCann’s side.
Caulker could prove to be the perfect fit for Villa, who have been lambasted for their defensive fragilities in recent weeks. Steve Bruce’s strugglers sit 12th in the league table but were heavily tipped to achieve promotion in the summer. They have leaked twelve goals in their opening seven league games and were put to the sword in empathic fashion by Sheffield United before the international break.
Rotherham United visit Villa Park tonight and if the Villains backline struggles again, negotiations with Caulker could quickly get underway.
