Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert says repeating a Darren Bent-style deal this month is "impossible".

Villa dodged the drop two years ago when owner Randy Lerner shelled out £18million for Bent.

But boss Lambert goes into today's crunch Midlands derby at West Brom admitting he does not have a magic wand to conjure up another star-name arrival this month.

He said: "There's no chance of that happening whatsoever.

"We're trying to do something within the structure of the club. But there's a chance there will be no signings at all.

"It's tough because that's the way the market is. But if I have to go with the lads I've got, that's who I'll go with. Loan signings are not something I'd disregard and we'd try to do something if the people we could get in make it better."