Derby County striker James Collins is one of a number of forwards being considered by fellow League One side Shrewsbury Town, according to Ollie Westbury from the Shropshire Star.
The 32-year-old, who had two previous spells with Salop, found the back of the net on 12 occasions in 52 appearances in all competitions last season for The Rams as they finished 7th in League One, narrowly missing out on a playoff place.
It is understood that the club are looking for reinforcements to the frontline with Matt Taylor’s side only having two recognised strikers ahead of the start of the new season, with Collins one of the names being considered.
The news comes after Shrewsbury loaned out striker Aiden O’Brien to League Two side Sutton United until January after spending the second half of last season at Gillingham, in which he went on to score twice in 14 appearances for Neil Harris’ side.
Collins had two previous spells with Shrewsbury Town, his first coming between 2011 and 2012, with his second stint coming between 2014 and 2016, in which he scored 48 goals in 115 total appearances over both spells.
The Irish frontman also had spells at the likes of Cardiff City, Hibernian, Swindon Town and Crawley Town, before making the move to now Premier League side Luton Town.
During his four-year stay at Kenilworth Road between 2017 and 2021, Collins scored an impressive 72 goals in 183 appearances for The Hatters as he helped the club climb to the Championship from when he signed when the club were in League Two.
The 32-year-old experienced striker has also appeared for the Republic of Ireland international team, with Collins scoring two goals in 14 caps after making his debut in September 2019, with his two goals for his country coming against Bulgaria and Serbia respectively.
Writer’s View
Shrewsbury are in need of another striker with days to go until the new League One season gets underway. If the club were to pursue a deal to bring Collins back to the club, it’s sure to be a shrewd piece of business, with the player knowing the club well after spending two previous spells with Salop.
The 32-year-old would bring a huge amount of experience to a Shrewsbury side which has very much had a summer of transition, with the striker being a regular goalscorer in the EFL, from League Two to the Championship. It would certainly be an impressive pickup if they were to go in for him and get the deal over the line.
