Who were the biggest winners and losers in the January transfer window?

Published 18:49 01/02/12

The transfer window slammed shut with a whimper as the big clubs largely kept a firm grip on their wallets, but there were still winners and losers.

Here, the Mirror's Darren Lewis reveals whose business he rates as a hit and whose was a miss.

WINNERS

EVERTON: Excellent use of their limited transfer funds. David Moyes got shot of underperforming Louis Saha and Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and brought in tried and trusted Steven Pienaar and Landon Donovan.

Also recruited Rangers marksman Nikica Jelavic and Darron Gibson, matchwinner against Manchester City. Not many people also noticed the signing of keeper Marcus Hahnemann from Wolves. Shrewd.

SUNDERLAND: Good business by Martin O’Neill to strengthen his defence with the loan signing of former Liverpool centre-half Sotirios Kyrgiakos from Wolfsburg. Left-back Wayne Bridge comes in from Manchester City with the Citizens paying most of his wages.

QPR: Mark Hughes side exited the window stronger than they went into it. Left-back Taye Taiwo from AC Milan is better than what they had. Midfielder Samba Diakite comes in from Nancy to provide competition for - and maybe even to eventually replace - Joey Barton. Djibril Cisse and Bobby Zamora will surely provide more cutting edge up front.

BOLTON: Owen Coyle has had an excellent window, replacing England defender Gary Cahill with New York Red Bulls centre-half Tim Ream. Talented attacker Marvin Sordell also came in under the wire to provide more creativity. Coyle missed out on a £7million move for the Crystal Palace rising star Wilfred Zaha, but more than made up for this by landing the Arsenal speedster Ryo Myaichi on loan. If he has anything like the impact of Jack Wilshere and Daniel Sturridge it could be a better second half of the season for the Trotters.

WEST HAM: They may have been crushed 5-1 by struggling Ipswich but Sam Allardyce has done some decent business in the window. Freescoring strikers Nicky Maynard and Ricardo Vaz Te have arrived from Bristol City and Barnsley respectively to take over from misfiring John Carew and Freddie Piquionne. Defender George John comes in from the MLS and if Ravel Morrison can produce anything like the form he has been showing at youth and reserve team level for Manchester United he could take the Championship by storm.

LOSERS:

ARSENAL: No back up striker at the Emirates which means when Thierry Henry goes back to the MLS the burden will again be all on Robin van Persie. Germany striker Lukasz Podolski didn’t want to risk his European Championship prospects by leaving Cologne for the Premier League. Same for Lille winger Eden Hazard with Chelsea keen to blow the Gunners out of the water anyway.

SPURS: Harry Redknapp lost out on the signing of exciting Juventus midfielder Milos Krasic and failed to land Marseille marksman Loic Remy. If the Spurs boss can work his legendary magic with ex-Everton striker Louis Saha then his recruitment - with unhappy Steven Pienaar going the other way - will have been good business. But given that Spurs fans had been expecting a top-line striker to add a bit of fantasy the bunting is not being broken out just yet.

CHRISTOPHER SAMBA: Put in the transfer request, conducting the customary interview lambasting the owners in a bid to make his position untenable. Even threatened he would not be able to give 100percent if he was not sold. Yet Blackburn have not sold him. Will look a bit sheepish when - sorry, if - he is given the chance to wear the shirt again. But he is without doubt the biggest loser of this window.

LIVERPOOL: Andy Carroll had a great night against Wolves on the anniversary of his £35m arrival but the brutal truth is that Reds fans have not seen enough of those performances. Someone to stick the ball away more regularly was needed. Now Liverpool wait to see if Carroll can prove he is worth the perseverance.

NEWCASTLE: Hard one this. Geordie fans would justifiably be delighted with the arrival of £10m striker Papiss Cisse from German club Freiburg. Also by the fact that they have held on to red-hot Demba Ba. But Newcastle needed a defender with the side looking light at centre-half. Watford wanted more money than the Magpies were prepared to pay for 25-year-old Adrian Mariappa. Ditto West Ham who demanded a staggering £8million for James Tomkins. So Alan Pardew will carry on regardless.

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