The League One promotion race is hotting up, with Plymouth Argyle, Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich Town looking to be in the mix for automatic promotion, while Derby County, Bolton Wanders and Barnsley hold the remaining play-off places.
Here, we look at all of the sides in the mix for promotion and the business they have done so far during the January transfer window.
Plymouth Argyle – 1st
IN: Ben Waine (Wellington Phoenix, undisc), Saxon Earley (Norwich City, undisc), Callum Wright (Blackpool, undisc), Tyreik Wright (Aston Villa, undisc), Jay Matete (Sunderland, loan)
OUT: Morgan Whittaker (recalled by Swansea)
It’s been a hectic first 11 days of January down at Home Park.
Whether or not they could hold onto their star loanees was the hot topic heading into the transfer window and the answer was, ultimately, no.
Morgan Whittaker has been recalled, leaving a nine-goal hole and robbing the Pilgrims of one of the division’s best players.
They have worked quickly to strengthen, though, bringing in five signings already.
Callum Wright, signed from Blackpool, looks like the replacement for Whittaker, while Sunderland loanee Jay Matete is a very capable League One performer. Town have shown interest in the past.
Ben Waine, signed from New Zealand, has made an excellent start to life in England and Tyreik Wright is an attacker with real potential.
Argyle are top of the table and will hope that, with these additions, they have enough to get them over the line.
Sheffield Wednesday – 2nd
IN: None
OUT: Alex Mighten (recalled by Nottingham Forest)
It’s been a slow window at Hillsborough so far, with no new arrivals and only fringe player Alex Mighten’s return to Nottingham Forest in the ‘outs’ column.
But it’s not a quiet window, with plenty of noise about where former Town loanee Mark McGuinness will be playing his football during the second half of the campaign.
The centre-half appears set to be recalled by parent club Cardiff but, at the time of writing, he is still training with Wednesday. Confusion.
Discussing the potential for signings, manager Darren Moore said: “What we are going to be doing is enquiring about one or two players we feel can help us.
“At the moment that will be an enquiry, where they go with it, I wouldn’t know yet. That’s where we are. It’s a couple of players we intend to enquire about and that’s about it.”
Ipswich Town – 3rd
IN: Massimo Luongo (Middlesbrough, free), George Hirst (Leicester City, loan), Nathan Broadhead (Everton, undisclosed, seven-figure)
OUT: None
Ipswich wanted to do business early this month and they have done, with three in the door already at such a vital point in the season.
Luongo adds experienced cover to midfield, Hirst finally moves to Portman Road after months of interest to add an extra focal point in attack and Broadhead brings real quality and versatility to the forward line.
Further movement is certainly possible, with interest in Whittaker and Peterborough’s Jack Taylor prior to the above arrivals likely to endure in some part at least, while other opportunities to improve the squad will likely present themselves as the month goes on.
Even if no move moves are made, though, Town have certainly done enough already to make sure this can go down as a positive window.
Derby County - 4th
IN: None
OUT: Jack Stretton (Stockport County, loan)
Now managed by Paul Warne, the Rams are up to fourth in the table following a major summer rebuild in the wake of relegation.
Warne will, undoubtedly, want to put his stamp on the squad as soon as possible but nothing has happened yet, even if it’s well known the Rams want three signings in the striker, full-back and winger positions.
The problem is, though, that the Rams can’t pay transfer or loan fees as a result of the business plan put forward to satisfy the EFL as they exited administration last year. That makes things a lot more difficult.
Free agents are the order of the day, so could former Ipswich striker Connor Wickham be of interest?
Bolton Wanderers –5th
IN: Randell Williams (Hull City, undisc), Dan Nlundulu (Southampton, loan)
OUT: None
The Trotters have already moved to bring in Randell Williams and Dan Nlundulu this month, but they are not done in the market.
Speaking recently, boss Ian Evatt said: “There is certainly one more that we have identified as being really exciting and we are having to be a little more patient.
“As that evolves and becomes nearer to completion, you will understand why we are being pretty cautious.
“The next one that we want in the building, we have had some positive news on today so that will be developing all the time.”
Barnsley – 6th
IN: Max Watters (Cardiff City, loan)
OUT: Josiah Dyer (FC United, loan), Joe Ackroyd (Buxton, loan)
Looking ahead to the January window, manager Michael Duff said: “We’re conscious that there has been that much upheaval at the football club that we want it to be as calm as a January transfer window can be.
“We don’t want it to be volatile, up and down and never knowing where we stand. Coming in in the morning and being told ‘he’s been sold, he’s been sold, he’s coming in’ is never ideal.
“We have targets. Hopefully we can get them done as early as possible like every club wants to.
“We’re being proactive. We don’t want more chaos.”
A striker and a right wing-back have been the Tykes’ targets, with Duff already bringing in Max Watters to fill the first of those roles.
Wycombe Wanderers – 7th
IN: None
OUT: Daryl Horgan (Stevenage, loan)
No new signings yet for a team who now sit just two points off the play-off places, after a good run.
Daryl Horgan has been allowed to join ambitious League Two side Stevenage, with the biggest January storyline at Adams Park likely to feature around attacker Anis Mehmeti.
The youngster has impressed this season and has admirers from above. It remains to be seen if they make a move this month.
Bristol Rovers – 8th
IN: None
OUT: Trevor Clarke (Shamrock Rovers, loan)
Gas boss Joey Barton is looking to ‘fine-tune’ his squad this month: “I think we will possibly lose two, three or four and we will possibly bring in two, three or four. It’s small numbers.
“Historically, I’ve had 12s and 15s and lots of players in and out and that can disrupt a club a little bit, but when you are changing one culture into a new group and a new culture, you had to be a bit more root and branch.
“Now it’s about fine-tuning and finding the right balance. Obviously, the market will present some things differently, but in our minds it is small tweaking of the group to make sure we continue our forward momentum.”
Peterborough United - 9th
IN: Will Norris (Burnley, loan)
OUT: None
The biggest bit of business at Posh this month has seen Grant McCann sacked and Darren Ferguson brought back to the club in his place.
The son of Sir Alex was in charge of Peterborough for much of last season so shouldn’t take too long to assess what he has, but there has of course been a bit of a pause in transfer activity until things become clearer.
Will Norris has been signed to give some experience between the sticks, which has certainly been lacking, while defender Nathan Thompson has expressed a desire to move on. There have been multiple bids for striker Jack Marriott, who was made available for transfer, while Ipswich have had bids knocked back for central midfielder Jack Taylor.
Chairman Darragh MacAnthony said: “Darren is keen on one specific player and position. We’re trying to sign a player we chased before who went to a different club. We’re talking to his club, but it could come down to whether or not the player wants to come. January is a difficult time to sign players.
"We will do one or two things, but only if they make us stronger and better.”
Port Vale – 10th
IN: None
OUT: Connor Hall (Colchester United, undisc)
Vale, under Darrell Clarke, have performed above expectations in League One after winning promotion last season.
Central defender Connor Hall was a big part of that side but has been sold to a rebuilding Colchester team, with location a big part of the attraction for the player.
There have been no incomings yet – it remains to be seen what they are able to do.
Exeter City – 11th
IN: Joe White (Newcastle United, loan), Josh Coley (recalled from loan at Harrogate)
OUT: Matt Jay (Colchester United, undisc), Tim Dieng (Gillingham, undisc)
The January window for Exeter has, so far at least, been focused on core members of the squad leaving to sign for teams stuck at the bottom of League Two. It’s a little odd.
Matt Jay, who captained the Grecians to promotion last season, has left his boyhood club for Colchester, having struggled for the minutes he’d have liked this season, while Tim Dieng has moved to Gillingham after the Kent club triggered a release clause in his contract. He was in the League Two team-of-the-year last season.
Nobody has come in, yet, though winger Josh Coley has been brought back from his loan at Harrogate.
Manager Gary Caldwell said: “We are working hard to look at good players and good people and to bring them in. But we want to make sure they are the right people for the club, and then will try our best to bring them in.”
Charlton Athletic – 12th
IN: None
OUT: Jake Forster-Caskey (Stevenage, loan)
Now managed by Dean Holden, a striker is top of the Addicks’ transfer wish list this month, with Macauley Bonne close to moving to The Valley.
If Bonne is brought in, Jayden Stockley could move on. Gillingham are keen, as well as unnamed clubs in League One and others overseas.
There has been interest in goalkeeper Craig Macgillivray and Charlie Kirk, as well as talk of Jesuran Rak-Sakyi being recalled from his loan by Crystal Palace.
In terms of other incomings, a move for former Ipswich loanee Tayo Edun, now at Blackburn, is said to be close.
Holden said: “I won’t comment at all. It’s really important to me, coming into the job, that we do our work on the quiet because every time a comment comes out publicly it drives rumours and interest. We don’t want to alert any clubs either, in terms of what we’re doing in terms of players coming in or out.”
Portsmouth – 13th
IN: Ryley Towler (Bristol City, undisc)
OUT:
Pompey’s biggest priority right now is to recruit a manager to replace Danny Cowley, with former MK Dons boss Liam Manning thought to be a serious contender there.
Pace at the top end of the pitch was top of the agenda prior to Cowley’s sacking, with a suggestion Joe Pigott’s loan from Ipswich could be terminated from the Pompey end in order to free up a loan spot.
It remains to be seen whether that remains the case under a new manager, whenever they are appointed.
Defender Ryley Towler has been signed from Bristol City.
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