Ipswich Town boss Paul Lambert is hopeful of completing a deal for central defender James Collins ‘by the end of the day’.

East Anglian Daily Times: James Collins is a free agent after leaving West Ham in the summer. Picture: PAJames Collins is a free agent after leaving West Ham in the summer. Picture: PA (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

The 35-year-old is a free agent after leaving the Hammers in the summer, with a short-term deal with Aston Villa be cut short last month after the Welshman suffered a calf injury during his first training session.

He is now training with Ipswich with a view to signing a contract.

Collins was offered a deal by former Ipswich boss Paul Hurst in the summer before injury ended the Blues’ hopes of doing a deal, but Lambert is now keen to add him to the squad.

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East Anglian Daily Times: Collins has been training with Ipswich this week. Picture: PACollins has been training with Ipswich this week. Picture: PA (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

“We are talking at the minute and I’m hopeful something will be done by the end of the day,” Lambert said.

“James would be a free. He’s training with us and the guy’s physical presence around the place has been great.

“We look a big side and I think we needed that physicality back.

“James has come in and has trained over the last few days and done really well. He knows the game, is experienced and certainly has enough to handle this.”

When asked if Collins could feature this weekend, Lambert said: “We’ll see how he feels.

“He knows his head and his own body, so I’ll decide from there. But, first-and-foremost, we have to sign him and that’s still taking place.”

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Once a deal has been completed for Collins, Lambert still hopes to bring in further signings between now and the end of the transfer window.

“We’ll try and do something but we can’t keep flooding the place with loans, because you can only have five in the matchday squad,” the Ipswich boss continued.

“That’s where the loan system falls down because you then have to manage them, which is difficult im itself. That’s why the loan market isn’t something I would ideally want to do.”