New Aston Villa boss Dean Smith will be hoping that he can change the club's fortunes after he was announced as Steve Bruce's successor.

Even though they are in 15th position, the former Brentford boss will be targeting promotion this season as Villa are only four points away from the top six.

However, it's clear that major improvements are needed, with one area in particular a real weakness.

Villa have conceded 20 goals from 12 games in the league this season, with only Preston having a worse record.

Therefore, fans will be pleased to see the Telegraph reporting that signing a centre-back is one of the priorities for Smith in January, where he will be backed with funds.

Here we look at THREE defenders they should be targeting...

The Southampton man is way down the pecking order under Mark Hughes and given their defensive woes, the Saints could sign a centre-back in January themselves.

Either way, Stephens should be available and he would be an upgrade for Villa.

He is a centre-back that has qualities that Smith will appreciate and could be a fine partner for James Chester.

Another Premier League option would be Crystal Palace's Kelly.

He too is out of favour and would surely welcome the chance to play regularly. He's a reliable performer and would bring a real physicality and strength to the back four.

Alternatively, Smith could look north of the border, with Celtic's Simunovic falling down the pecking order under Brendan Rodgers.

Despite that, the former Dinamo Zagreb man has proven himself to be a quality performer over the years and had been linked with top-flight clubs in some major leagues.

An aggressive, no-nonsense type, he would relish the challenge of the Championship and would be a shrewd signing.

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