Bristol City are close to agreeing a deal with centre-back Timm Klose after the veteran defender passed his audition during his trial.
The former Norwich centre-back has been training with the club since last Friday as manager Nigel Pearson plots to bolster his numbers in defence and add a physical presence to his squad.
A problem with paperwork, believed to be around securing international clearance, ruled him out of Tuesday's Under-23 match with Charlton but Klose has been put through his paces at the Robins High Performance Centre and has passed with flying colours, according to assistant Curtis Fleming.
Pearson will now make a decision "sooner rather than later" but it appears increasingly likely Klose will become the club's first addition in the January window.
Speaking ahead of Saturday's trip to Preston, Fleming revealed: "I think Nigel will make a decision, we had a real good session with him today.
"It's just important that we can have a look at him, and look at all the aspects of what his position in the Championship may encounter. This morning was a good chance to test him in all those aspects and he looked strong. So I think Nigel will make a decision sooner rather than later on that.
"He's looking to play, he's a position that we've been looking at as well. It's given us the chance to run the rule over him.
"He's 33, he's experienced, he's not 23 so it's better to see someone live instead of in clips and I think the biggest thing for me is he's an experienced Premier League and international footballer.
"We know what we're seeing, we know what we need, (we know) what we get and at the end of the day it shouldn't be short term."
Question marks have been raised over the fitness of Klose who has been without a club since last summer following a loan stint with Basel. His last competitive fixture was in the Swiss Super League last May but he has continued to train in Switzerland to maintain some level of fitness, albeit lacking in game time.
He suffered a serious knee injury in 2019 - the second during his career - but Fleming insists a measure of Klose's attitude and character was that he was determined to travel to Bristol and give Pearson and his coaching staff a first-hand look at his capabilities.
"He was willing to come over and show us what he can do," Curtis added. "He's been saying 'I can do this, I can do that... if you want me to come over and have a look then no problem' and I think that was a real positive for everybody.
"What he's done he has been keeping fit, he's been playing well. We are where we are, if you want to go and get Thiago Silva you need a few quid, that's where we are at the moment.
"He's come over, he's very, very experienced. The biggest thing that is very important, you can get some players say 'I've done so much in the game, I'm not coming over, I've got two promotions, I've played in the Premier League' but he wanted to come over and show us his fitness.
"There have been different reasons for why he hasn't been playing and he wanted to come over and let us take a look at him in the flesh."
When asked whether Klose's potential arrival was part of the thought process to prevent conceding so many goals from set-plays, Curtis responded: "I think so, I think he gives the experience - people have been talking about age. But what age?
"Gary Cahill is 36, (Kyle) McFadzean at Coventry is flying he's 35, Curtis Davies is 36, (Phil) Jagielka has just gone from Derby to Stoke at 39 so please don't tell me about age, sometimes it's that bit of experience and organisation that you have."
Fleming laughed at the suggestion that it was a done deal but City look set to sign the former Swiss international until at least the end of the season.
His arrival will come as a welcome boost with Nathan Baker out for the rest of the season and Rob Atkinson currently sidelined after suffering back spasms in the win over Cardiff.
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