Sky Sports have reported that veteran former Premier League players Ashley Cole and Robbie Keane are open to a move to Championship outfit Birmingham City. 

The report also suggests that LA Galaxy hitman Keane will begin talks with the West Midlands club, managed by his former Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp, this week.

Keane's Galaxy team-mate, former Arsenal and Chelsea left back Cole is also willing to consider a return to England with the Blues, after Redknapp expressed his interest in the former England international over the weekend.

The report indicates that Keane's move is further advanced and more likely than any approach for Cole, possibly due to Keane's experience working with veteran manager Redknapp, but the Blues hope that the Republic of Irishman can convince Cole to join him in making the move back across the Atlantic.

Keane's last club in England was actually Birmingham's bitter city rivals Aston Villa, for whom the all-time record Republic of Ireland record goalscorer made six Premier League appearances, netting 3 times.

However, that is unlikely to deter Redknapp from pursuing a man who has over 100 Premier League goals to his name, as he seeks to transform last season's relegation battlers into a side capable of making a serious promotion push.

Cole may have been a divisive figure at the height of his career, but there is little doubting the quality that he had and Redknapp clearly believes that the 36-year-old still possesses sufficient quality to solidify his Blues backline.

Birmingham fans - what do you make of this latest development? Would you like to see the experienced pair at St Andrews? Let us know in the comments below...