Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom wasn't holding back halfway through January when he said it would be criminal if his squad wasn't stronger coming out of the transfer window than when they went into it.
It will be interesting to hear how Heckingbottom feels it has panned out when we catch up with him ahead of Saturday's home match against Portsmouth.
The first thing to say is that money has been spent – in Callum Lang’s case, a club-record fee.
In higher-end Championship terms, we're not talking fortunes, but on a couple of occasions this season, the directors of the club have described this year's squad as the most expensively assembled in the club's history.
At a time when the club are in talks with regards to a potential takeover, it would have been easy to do little or nothing.
Lang looks a good signing. The obvious concern is the number of his appearances this season have been severely restricted by injury, but he will give them a different option at the top of the pitch and fill the position vacated by Will Keane’s move to Reading.
North End have paid for Andy Moran as well. The second time they’ve taken one of Brighton’s academy graduates in as many windows.
Moran follows Odel Offiah to Deepdale from the Amex. He's had two Championship loans already, he knows the level and will undoubtedly be a better player for the experience of spells at Blackburn and Stoke.
The one thing he isn't is Harrison Armstrong. North End waited as long as they could before accepting their loanee from the first half of the season wouldn't be back from Everton to end the campaign.
In reality, why would he come back? He's playing regularly in the Premier League for his boyhood club. It wouldn't be fair to call Moran a direct, like-for-like replacement.
We'll wait and see what impact Milos Lukovic has during his loan from now until the summer.
As well as the permanent departure of Keane and the return of Armstrong to Everton, North End have let Mads Frokjaer and Stefan Thordarson leave on permanent deals.
With the changes last summer, neither were part of Heckingbottom's strongest teams this year. Both did OK.
Frokjaer appeared to be a fan favourite with some. Personally, I never felt that he influenced a game in the way real maverick players do and it's probably best for all parties that they move on.
So, it's a huge blow to lose Armstrong, but Moran and Lang both look like good permanent captures going forward.
