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Paul Lambert is largely remembered by Aston Villa fans for his struggles in the transfer market.

His three years at the Villa Park helm coincided with chairman Randy Lerner making financial cuts.

While there was one undoubted success in Belgium international Christian Benteke, many of the Scot's signings flopped in claret and blue.

Just back up goalkeeper Jed Steer remains at Villa Park.

Ahead of his return to Villa Park with Ipswich Town this weekend, here's a look at what became of his 20 permanent signings as Villa boss.

Christian Benteke

It’s hard to think of a more popular figure at B6 in recent history than Belgian striker Christian Benteke. The former Genk man plundered goal after goal in claret and blue before leaving for Liverpool for £32.5 million in the summer of 2015 when the Reds triggered his buy-out clause.

Benteke wasn’t appreciated on Merseyside and made a £27million switch to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2016. He has endured a bit of a stop start time at Selhurst Park, with injuries hampering his progress.

Joe Bennett

Bennett left at the beginning of the 2016-17 season after learning that he would be third choice left-back under Roberto Di Matteo, behind Jordan Amavi and Aly Cissokho.

Originally signed from Middlesbrough in August 2012, he never really won over the Villa Park faithful and had loan spells at Brighton and Hove Albion, Bournemouth and Sheffield Wednesday to get first team football.

Tony Xia blocked a permanent move to Wednesday because he didn't want him to go to a promotion rival. Instead, Villa sold him to Cardiff City, who beat Villa to the Premier League by going up in 2017-18.

When Villa lost to the Bluebirds in August 2017, Bennett tweeted: "What a win! Won't enjoy a win as much as that one all season."

Matt Lowton

Matt Lowton, who arrived in July 2012, was popular under Lambert, but fell out of favour upon Tim Sherwood’s appointment.

The former Sheffield United right-back was known for his desire to get forward and his claret and blue spell will be remembered for that belting volley away at Stoke City.

He moved to Burnley in 2015 and helped them secure promotion to the Premier League before consolidating in the top flight.

Lowton has been regular pick for for the Clarets since then.

Jordan Bowery

Benteke wasn't the only unknown striker Villa signed on the deadline day of August 31 2012.

Jordan Bowery also arrived.

He was plucked from Chesterfield for £500,000, but his claret and blue career never got going.

Bowery failed to score for Villa and in total made just six starts and 16 substitute appearances in league and cup.

He was sent out on loan to Rotherham United at the beginning of Lambert’s final season in charge and then moved to Oxford soon after.

Leyton Orient picked him up on a free transfer at the beginning of the 2016-17 season and hoped he would fire them to promotion from League Two.

But Orient's shock relegation to the National League saw Bowery make a move to Crewe. He has become an important part of the team at Gresty Road.

Joe Cole

It's fair to say Joe Cole's best days were behind him when, at the age of 32, he signed for Villa on a two-year contract in June 2014 following his release from West Ham United.

The former Chelsea and England star made five starts and 11 substitute appearances for Villa, scoring once in a 1-1 draw at Burnley.

He was loaned out to Coventry City in October 2015 and then joined the Sky Blues on a free transfer until the summer of 2016 after Villa cancelled his contract.

After leaving the Ricoh Arena, he went to play for Tampa Bay Rowdies in the North American Soccer League.

Cole announced his retirement in November 2018 and returned to Chelsea a month later as a technical academy coach.

Philippe Senderos

In the summer of 2014, Villa's recruitment drive focused on experienced Premier League players.

Philippe Senderos fitted that description. He was a free agent after leaving Valencia and agreed a two-year deal at Villa.

The former Arsenal, Everton and Fulham defender left Switzerland's World Cup camp in Brazil to sign for Villa in Zurich.

Like Cole he was just a bit-part player at Villa, making eight starts and one substitute appearance and he too departed after 18 months.

It started quite well as he helped Villa keep three clean sheets in a three game winning run at the start of 2014-15.

Senderos left Villa in 2016 to return to Switzerland with Grasshoppers before joining Rangers in summer 2016.

He then headed across the pond to play for Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer. He is still only 33!

Kieran Richardson

Richardson enjoyed a short spell with Cardiff City before being released in January 2017 and is now back on the free agent scrapheap.

Coventry City held talks with him while he was invited to train with La Liga side Granada when Tony Adams was appointed manager.

Most recently he had a trial with West Brom but he's currently without a club.

Ron Vlaar

‘Concrete Ron’ left Villa in 2015 suffering with injuries. Once fit, he signed for Dutch side AZ Alkmaar and has been playing for them ever since.

Vlaar was recently, somewhat bizarrely, linked with the managerial post at League Two side Carlisle United. That move didn't materialise and Vlaar continues to turn out for AZ back in his homeland.

Yacouba Sylla

Mali international Sylla only made 22 league appearances during two years with Villa. Since leaving he's played for Montpellier, Rennes and Panathinaikos before winding up at current club YR KV Mechelen.

Sylla is occasionally linked with a return to these shores but, unless Lambert fancies another punt, it's likely he'll see out his career abroad.

Karim El Ahmadi

The Moroccan midfielder joined Villa in 2012 and made 57 appearances in two seasons, scoring three times.

He returned to his former club Feyenoord in 2014 and led them to the Eredivisie title.

El Ahmadi had been a regular for the Dutch champions and played Champions League football last season.

He is now playing for Al-Ittihad after securing a move to the Saudi Arabian side in the summer.

Antonio Luna

The Spanish defender, who scored on his Premier League debut against Arsenal, was embroiled in a sex tape scandal in his homeland recently.

Luna, 27, and his former Eibar teammate Sergi Enrich were identified in a leaked video.

They released a joint statement denying they had consented to its release: “We want to state that the video shows a recording of a private act which took place between fully consenting adults, within the scope of the freedoms we all enjoy.

“We deeply regret that an indiscretion for which we are not responsible has led to these images being published without our knowledge or, far less, our consent.”

Luna has since left Eibar for fellow La Liga side Levante.

Nicklas Helenius

The striker struggled to adapt to life in England and became addicted to sleeping pills.

He moved back to Aalborg on loan before making a permanent switch in 2015. He was loaned out to divisional rivals Paderborn and Silkeborg with first team opportunities limited.

Helenius earned a move to Danish Superliga side Odense Boldklub in the summer of 2017.

Aleksandar Tonev

The Bulgarian midfielder’s alleged racist outburst during a loan spell with Celtic all but ended his hopes of a career in the United Kingdom. He is now with Serie A side Crotone.

He has made 21 appearances for the club.

Ashley Westwood

Westwood departed Villa after four and a half years of service to join Premier League side Burnley in January 2017.

The midfielder remains an important part of the squad at Turf Moor.

Leandro Bacuna

Bacuna left Villa Park for Championship rivals Reading in 2017 after Steve Bruce deemed him surplus to requirements.

Bacuna’s departure also came as a bit of a shock to the Villa faithful given his lofty standing in Bruce’s thinking the previous season.

But with the likes of Glenn Whelan and Josh Onomah on board, Bruce opted to offload the Curacao international.

Groningen-born Bacuna joined the Royals in a deal worth around £1.5million and has been a regular under three different managers at the Madejski.

Carlos Sanchez

Sanchez spent the 2016/17 season on loan at Fiorentina - a move which was made permanent once a clause was triggered.

The Colombian found his game time limited under Stefano Pioli though and linked up with Espanyol before returning to the Premier League with West Ham recently.

He has made five league appearances with his most recent outing coming in the Hammers' 8-0 EFL Cup thumping of Macclesfield in September.

Aly Cissokho

A move to Turkey with Malatyaspor was Cissokho’s next step after being told he had no future at Villa under Bruce upon returning from a loan spell with Olympiakos.

The Frenchman joined Antalyaspor at the beginning of the current campaign and has made 12 appearances for the side in eighth place in the Super Lig.

Libor Kozak

Just 12 starts and 10 substitute appearances in three-and-a-half years tells its own story.

Libor Kozak was signed to provide cover and competition for Benteke but his Villa career never really took off.

Kozak did score four goals for Villa in an early flurry following his deadline day move in August 2013.

But the striker Lambert bought from Lazio has spent more time on the treatment table than on the football field since then.

Kozak returned to Italy in 2017, first joining Bari and then switching to their Serie B rivals Livorno. He hasn't scored in 11 matches this season.