Steve Bruce is a fan of Shane Long but not confident about signing him for Aston Villa

According to reports from the Birmingham Mail, Steve Bruce is keen to sign Southampton striker Shane Long, but he is not confident about whether he would be able to lure him to play in the Championship.

Clubs in the English Football League can sign players on loan, and Bruce is keen to bolster his strike department before the end of this month.

The report claims that Bruce is a fan of the 31-year-old striker who was left out of Southampton’s squad for their opening Premier League game against Burnley.

He returned to action against Everton and was handed a 30-minute cameo by manager Mark Hughes.