Should Aston Villa look to re-sign another player in Chris Samba if John Terry doesn’t return?

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John Terry is allegedly close to joining Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon, meaning Championship club Aston Villa must look at other options.

Aston Villa were so poor in their 4-1 defeat to Sheffield United at Brammal Lane that manager Steve Bruce is desperately trying to bring John Terry back.

According to The Sun, Bruce is hoping to convince Villa’s owners to re-sign the 37-year-old, who captained the Midland giants to the play-off final last season. Terry was released in the summer but is still without a club.

But signing the former Chelsea and England skipper could be easier said than done. Madeira Rodrigues, one of the candidates hoping to be named Sporting Lisbon’s new president on Saturday, told Record that Terry is likely to move to Portugal should he win the election.

So Aston Villa, and Bruce, should have an alternative lined up. But how about Chris Samba, another veteran centre-back who left Villa Park this summer and has been unable to find a new club since?

While Terry earned hero status in claret and blue, 34-year-old Samba struggled to make the same impact. In over a year at Aston Villa, he made just 12 Championship appearances with five of those coming from the start.

But if Villa cannot land Terry, former Blackburn and QPR powerhouse Samba would still provide the experience that Bruce is seemingly looking for while providing James Chester with a more natural centre-back partner than the out-of-sorts Mile Jedinak.