OPINION
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce has left himself in a bit of a sticky situation when it comes to his centre back options – and it has resulted in him reportedly scouring the free agent market to try and fill the gap.
With the likes of James Chester and Axel Tuanzebe at his disposal, the former Hull City boss made the bizarre decision to let Tommy Elphick depart on loan to his old side, a move which was seemingly made with Mile Jedinak lined up as a transformed option from the middle of the pitch.
However, the experiment involving the Australian international has not worked out – as proven in the 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Sheffield United – and Bruce is seemingly looking at correcting his mistake with moves for John Terry, Robert Huth and James Collins all reported by various outlets.
With Terry seemingly on his way to Russia, it falls to either of the other pair, and if Bruce wants the former West Ham man to make a return to Villa Park this summer, it could well be a case of now or never.
That is because Ipswich Town boss Paul Hurst has confirmed talks over a potential move to the Tractor Boys is scheduled, the Daily Star quoting him as saying: “We spoke to him last week and are due to have another conversation.
“It’s certainly not a case of him just coming in to sign paperwork, but it’s something we will look at.”
Hurst might not be expecting anything imminently but things can change quickly in football, with the Telegraph reporting that the 35-year-old defender is eyeing a potential reunion with Villa after making 108 appearances for the club.
However, if the Villans fail to get their skates on, those talks with Ipswich could dash any hopes they have of sealing a deal, and Bruce could continue to be left with a notable gap at the back.