Harry Redknapp has confirmed he is interested in bringing Joe Cole to Queens Park Rangers and is planning talks with Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers.
Cole has been unable to make an impact at Liverpool this season following Rodgers' appointment after spending last term on loan at French side Lille.
The midfielder has yet to start a Premier League game under Rodgers and was not involved when Liverpool won 3-0 at QPR on Sunday.
Redknapp handed Cole his professional debut at West Ham United and remains a big fan of the 31-year-old as he looks to improve his QPR squad.
"I've got a lot of time for Joe, as a player and a person, he's a good lad to have around your football club, a good player," said Redknapp.
"He's interesting me. I'd like to bring him here if we could. We'll see what happens.
"The deal would have to be right for the club. We couldn't do a deal with Liverpool with what his contract is at Liverpool. We'd have to try to find a way of doing a deal with Liverpool, if they're willing to let him go.
"I'll have to speak with Brendan, I'll have a chat with him when the time's right and see what he has to say.
"I haven't spoken to Joe, I'm not allowed to speak to Joe. Are you trying to get me banned by the FA?
"I haven't spoken to Joe for two years. I nearly took him to Tottenham a couple of years ago but he went to Liverpool, that was last time I spoke to Joe. He's a great lad."
The former Tottenham boss is battling to keep QPR in the Premier League and has reiterated his view that signing players in the January transfer window is not easy.
He added: "January is so difficult. It's a tough time to find players. We're in a desperate situation, but we'll see what happens this week.
"I've got a list of names, obviously. But getting them isn't easy and it's all about getting value. Attitude and ability are important for us. We need players who will come in and make an impact."
The Light Blues extended their lead to 15 points on Saturday with their 10th consecutive win.
However, the 1-0 victory over 10-man Queen's Park came courtesy of an injury-time goal by Fraser Aird and Rangers travel to Annan's artificial pitch on Wednesday, where they drew 0-0 in September.
And McCoist believes self-motivation will keep the players going, despite the apparent inevitability of them securing the title.
The Ibrox boss said: "In terms of motivation, it will not be a problem because the players will be seriously motivated to go out and win games no matter who the opposition are.
"We have never had a problem with motivating players here and that's one of the issues you have to accept when you become a Rangers player.
"If you've got to find motivation, then you've got a problem because you have to win every game here.
"We saw what it was like at the start of the season when we weren't being just as successful away from home.
"Maybe there was a little bit of an overreaction but that overreaction is always there when you don't win games at Rangers."
Villa enter the New Year only a single point above the Barclays Premier League relegation zone after losing three successive games and conceding 15 goals in the process.
Lambert spent nearly ?23 million last summer on revamping the squad and club owner Randy Lerner will invest further money next month while players could be off-loaded as well to bolster funds.
But Lambert believes Villa's precarious plight will not put players off joining the midlands club who visit Swansea today.
When asked if he is concerned about attracting new experienced signings, Lambert said: "No, I don't because I think it is not just Aston Villa that are in a fight.
"There are a right few others and in the second half of the season, as Roberto Martinez (Wigan manager) said, you have to have patience and don't panic.
"That is important. It is not just Aston Villa in a fight.
"Can I sell the club and its young players to an experienced player? I don't see that is a problem. The football club on its own will attract that as well.
"It is pretty easy to sell the club, the stature it has got. You don't need to be Einstein to try to sell this club. It is a huge huge club."
Lambert admits he is not a massive fan of the January transfer window where the accent is often on panic buying.
He said: "I think any football manager always has an idea of what they want and try to do, but I think everybody says that January is an absolute nightmare of a month.
"People can panic, prices are inflated, people don't want to sell, so it is a tough one."
Lambert is under no imminent pressure for his own job, with Lerner aware rebuilding the squad is a long-term project, but he accepts it is a results driven business.
He said: "Do I have the patience of the chairman? You would certainly like to think so. I can't influence anything like that.
"I can only work with what I have, and that is the same for any manager. You try to do your job the best you can.
"But I sense that there is a togetherness when I speak to him. As I said before, I have a good relationship with the chairman but football is a results business."
