Aberdeen
In: Alfie Dorrington (Tottenham Hotspur, loan), Oday Dabbagh (Charleroi, loan), Alexander Jensen (Brommapojkarna, undisclosed), Mats Knoester (Ferencvaros, undisclosed), Jeppe Okkels (Prestond North End, loan), Kristers Tobers (Grasshopper Zurich, undisclosed)
Out: Alfie Bavidge (Inverness Caledonian Thistle, loan), Duk (Luganes, undisclosed), Angus MacDonald (free), James McGarry (Athens Kallithea, loan), Alfie Stewart (Inverness Calidonian Thistle, loan), Rodrigo Vitols (Keith, loan)
Jimmy Thelin has taken an unorthodox approach to fixing his side’s back line, by getting an entirely new one. The arrival of defenders Tobers, Jensen, Knoester and Dorrington show where the manager thinks the epicentre of side’s seismic collapse originates.
Papa Gueye’s return from injury is a welcome boost but adding a couple of supporting forwards in Dabbagh and Okkels, a player Thelin knows from his time at Elfsborg, will help add some verve to a stale attack. Moves made all the more important by the biggest loss of their windown with Duk leaving for La Liga side Leganes.
Overall, a proactive approach to solving the side’s woes despite the loss of Duk. Fans will have to hope the current players’ fragile confidence is not contagious. B-
Celtic
In: Jota (Rennes, undisclosed), Jeffrey Schlupp (Crystal Palace, loan)
Out: Alexandro Bernabei (Internacional, undisclosed), Kyogo Furuhashi (Rennes, undisclosed), Aiden Haddow (Heart of Midlothian), Odin Holm (Los Angeles, loan), Luis Palma (Olympiakos, loan), Alex Valle (Barcelona, loan ended), Stephen Welsh (Mechelen, loan)
Peter Lawwell might just be the happiest man in Scottish football, the Celtic CEO has managed to recoup Jota and Kieran Tierney (pre-contract for summer signed) for less than a fifth of what they sold them for.
Less pleased perhaps will be the fans themselves who have seen their beloved Kyogo depart for France and a limited window spend given the club’s burgeoning purse. However, on top of the savings and scoring on his return, Jota being five years younger than the Japanese forward is a good bit of future planning.
We know how ambitious he is to move the club forward, so Rodgers will be frustrated to that they were pipped to another former player of his in Kelechi Iheanacho, who joined Middlesborough on loan instead.
More worrying perhaps is that the departures of Palma and Valle will harm the squad’s depth but Jeffrey Shlupp’s ability to play in almost every position should negate that to some extent.
Here’s to hoping that in going out on loan, Welsh and Holm do not join another lost generation of youngsters at the club. B+
Dundee
In: Aaron Donnelly (Nottingham Forest, undisclosed), Cesar Garza (Monterrey, loan), Victor Lopez (Queretaro, loan), Imari Samuels (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Out: Sammy Braybrooke (Leicester City, loan ended) Sean Kelly, Curtis Main (Ayr United, free), Marley Sweenie-Rowe (Forfar Athletic, loan), Julian Vetro (Burnley, loan ended)
An odd windown for the Dee’s. On the one hand the permanently returning Donnelly and loanee Garza have looked like class additions since arriving with Samuels and Lopez still bedding in.
On the other, it fails to stem one of the major issues this side faced in the winter, squad depth. When the side beat Rangers, Tony Docherty made the point that the side had won despite being down to bare bones during the winter.
However, letting five players leave the club seems like an odd way of dealing with the issue. Braybrooke and Vetro no doubt left because of a lack of game time but Docherty is left with having to see this squad through the next few months which seems just as likely to make the top six as it does to get relegated. D
Dundee United
In: Allan Campbell (Luton, undisclosed), Lewis Fiorini (Stockport County, loan), Ruari Paton (Port Vale, loan)
Out: Zak Cameron (Cowdenbeath, loan), Adam Carnwath (Alloa Athletic, loan), Scott Constable (Stirling Albion, loan), Charlie Dewar (Alloa Athletic, loan), Alan Domeracki (Norwich City, undisclosed), Lewis Haldane (East Craigie, loan), Ollie Simpson (Jeanfield Swifts, loan), Owen Stirton (Montrose, loan), Miller Thomson (Falkirk, loan), Meshack Ubochioma (Livingston, loan)
Evolution not revolution seems to have been the motto in the United front office.
If you had told those involved at the club that they could finish in top half in their first season since promotion they would have bitten your hand off.
Now they face the very possibility of going for the entire arm as third looks a very real possibility and have made some neat additions to give themselves the best chance of doing so.
One time Scotland international Campbell brings quality in midfield as Fiorini arrives looking to come good on the potential that saw him graduate from Manchester City’s academy.
Paton took the hard route to Dundee. Having been released by Hibs, the striker has worked his way up from the Lowland League to the Prem playing in every division in between before struggling in League 2 with Port Vale. Jim Goodwin will hope he can ease the goalscoring burden carried by Sam Dalby, who has netted over a third of his side’s total.
Plenty of outgoings as United’s fledglings look to find their wings on loan across Scotland. Most notably Miller Thomson, the youngster will hope to build on his early season promise with title chasing Falkirk. C-
Hearts of Midlothian
In: Aiden Haddow (Celtic), Elton Kabangu (Union Saint-Gilloise, loan),Sander Kartum (Brann), Jamie McCart (Rotherdam United, undisclosed), Harry Milne (Partick Thistle, undisclosed), Michael Steinwender (Varnamo, undisclosed)
Out: Malachi Boateng (Plymouth Argyle, undisclosed), Liam Boyce (Derry City, undisclosed), Daniel Oyegoke (Hellas Verona, undisclosed), Kyle Rowles (DC United, undisclosed), Andres Salazar (Atletico Nacional, loan ended), Callum Sandilands (Montrose, loan), Kai Smutek (Bonnyrigg Rose, loan), Macauley Tait (Livingston, loan)
The outcome of Hearts’s business in this window and the next could have serious ramifications for Scottish football.
It remains early days of the partnership with Brighton owner Tony Bloom’s company Jamestown Analytics but with loanee Kabangu from partner club USG already scoring five goals in four games, it would appear as though the two could be on the cusp of making signings from abroad a fine art.
Of course it remains to be seen how Kartum and Steinwender will fare in the domestic game but Milne is a player who will have some idea, having become a fan favourite for Championship side Partick Thistle.
Should the partnership be a fruitful one, expect plenty of clubs to follow suit with link-ups of their own.
A few big losses in Oyegoke, Rowles and Boateng but the side should have more than enough to break into the top six with their replacements. Andres Salazar returns to Colombia having played just one game. B
Hibernian
In: Alasan Manneh (Odense Boldklub, undisclosed)
Out: Luke Amos (released), Jake Doyle-Hayes (released), Josh Landers (West Ham United, undisclosed), Nohan Kenneh (Ross County, loan), Reuben McAllister (Forfar Athletic, loan), Harry McKirdy (released), Josh O’Connor (Crusaders, undisclosed), Malik Zaid (Edinburgh City, loan)
An underwhelming window for Hibs, who have made a solitary signing in former Barcelona academy player Manneh, arguably one for the future.
To the naked eye, the tactics rely heavily on the Cadden twins but David Gray seems to turst Jordan Obita and Lewis Miller to cover any potential absences.
The side are flying at the moment, nine games unbeaten in a row, so perhaps little change is required.
Instead the more marked activity is towards the exit, with Amos leaving without having made much of an impact and the surprise sale of academy talent Josh Landers to West Ham.
A move to be celebrated for the 17 year old, but can the same be said for Hibs? D-
Kilmarnock
In: Calvin Ramsay (Liverpool, loan), Tom Wilson-Brown (Leicester City, loan)
Out: Jack Burroughs (Coventry, loan ended), Oliver Bainbridge (Sunderland, loan ended)
Another club that looks to have flunked an opportunity to strengthen in January.
Having scored just 28 goals in 25 games a striker might have done the side a world of good but Derek McInnes has placed his faith in a return to form for Marley Watkins and Kyle Vassell who have five in the league between them.
They will be supported by a name familiar to Scotland fans in Calvin Ramsay who looks to rebuild an injury career that has seem him struggle in Preston, Bolton and Wigan on loan from Liverpool, with Wilson-Brown hoping to use the Premiership as a stepping stone to more game time for Leicester.
The return of Burroughs and Bainbridge to their clubs will not be a huge loss to the side. E
Motherwell
In: Luke Armstrong (Carlisle United, loan), Ellery Balcombe (Brentford, loan), Will Dickson (Manchester City, loan), Archie Mair (Norwich City, loan), Luke Plange (Crystal Palace, loan), Calum Ward (Oulu)
Out: Krisztian Hegyi (West Ham United, loan ended)
Spare a thought for Motherwell’s goalkeeping coach, former Scotland international Neil Alexander, who has seen Aston Oxborough go down injured, Hegyi cut his loan short and not one, but three keepers arrive in his place with Mair, Ward and Balcombe jetting in this month.
Sure, it might take all three in goal to replicate Oxborough’s impact in the past few months but the biggest loss be the manager himself as Stuart Kettlewell resigned citing abuse of himself and his family from fans.
In his absence, the club have used the market to inject some life into a flailing side as Lennon Miller’s absence continues to be keenly felt (credit is also due for palming Celtic away on deadline day) with Dickson and Plange brought into add some Premier League academy talent up front.
Untested perhaps but it shows intent, which is more than can said for a few sides in the league. C+
Rangers
In: Lyall Cameron (Dundee, pre-contract agreement), Rafael Fernandes (Lille, loan)
Out: Kieran Dowell (Birmingham City, loan), Connor Allan (Falkirk), Adam Devine (Queen’s Park, loan), Robbie Fraser (Livingston, loan), Josh Gentles (Alloa Athletic, loan), Zak Lovelace (Millwall, undisclosed), Alex Lowry (Wycombe Wanderers, undisclosed), Rabbi Matondo (Hannover 96, loan), Blaine McClure (Kelty Hearts, loan), Cole McKinnon (Ayr United, loan), Archie Stevens (Dunfermline Athletic, loan)
It might seem odd to say given only one (loan) player arrived on loan in January, but Rangers have had a solid month in the market.
Given that there is depth in every position, bringing in players who are not an upgrade could upset the balance of a side that is looking better with each passing week. Albeit that bar was very low now that the title is effectively lost.
Fernandes’ arrival will see him rotate with Robin Propper, John Souttar and Clinton Nsiala ahead of a busy end of season with the Europa League and Scottish Cup very much still to play for.
Poor handling of the business side of things in recent years has meant that Philippe Clement’s kitty to spend was minimal to non-existent. With the inflated cost of midseason signings, they might be better served waiting for the right player in the summer and the pre-contract signing of Lyall Cameron looks a tidy bit of business from the club.
Having cut the B team, it was important that the club trim players who are not going to make an impact and the out section indicates positive steps in that direction. Overall, solid if uninspiring. B-
Ross County
In: Zac Ashworth (Blackpool, loan), Nohan Kenneh (Hibernian, loan), Kieran Phillips (Huddersfield Town, undisclosed), Jonathan Tomkinson (Norwich City, loan)
Out: Eamonn Brophy (Falkirk), Aidan Denholm (Heart of Midlothian), Jack Hamilton (Livingston), Ricki Lamie (Hamilton Academical, loan), Victor Loturi (Montreal, undisclosed), Max Sheaf (Gateshead)
Groundhog Day passed only a couple of days ago and yet County fans will feel that they are still in it as another window ends with the side staring down the barrel of a relegation play-off.
With their only permanent signing Phillips, the Staggies have at least tried to address their gaping lack of goals as the only side this season to have scored fewer than have played games (24 in 25).
The signing of Tomkinson and Ashworth adds cover to middle and back end of the park but the success of young players on loan is incredibly hit or miss in this league so only time will tell. Although Kenneh will be helped by the fact that this is second spell at the club.
Waving goodbye to Loturi will not be easy but the player has not had his best season at club as he returns to his native Canada. Brophy joins promotion chasing Falkirk as he looks to rediscover the form that made him so dangerous for Kimarnock.
Don Cowie will have to hope the kids are alright lest they find themselves having to fight for their lives yet again. D+
St Johnstone
In: Daniel Balodis (RFS), Sam Curtis (Sheffield United, loan), Stephen Duke-McKenna (Harrogate Town, loan), Andy Fisher (Swansea City, loan), Victor Griffith (Club Deportivo Arabe Unido), Zach Mitchell (Charlton Athletic, loan), Jonathan Svedberg (Halmsteds), Elliot Watt (Burton Albion, loan)
Out: David Keltjens (Ironi Tiberias), Lewis Neilson (Heart of Midlothian, loan ended), Jack Sanders (MK Dons, undisclosed), Connor Smith (Hamilton Academical, undisclosed), Josh Rae (Raith Rovers, loan)
If there is one thing you cannot accuse St Johnstone of, that is not backing their man.
A couple of promising wins in a more ‘progressive style’ were followed by just one in thirteen games for Simo Valakari as the club spiralled to the bottom of the table.
Yet the club not only refused to sack to Finn, they doubled down by bringing his son, Paavo, onto the staff before making a raft of signings in January and turning down big offers for Benjamin Kimpioka who could leave for free in the summer, no small feat given that they are not one of the wealthier clubs in the league.
Valakari has been forced to be more pragmatic in his approach by the technical ability of some of his players, but will hope the new batch can build on the their consecutive wins against Motherwell and St Mirren.
The most important of the incomings may be keeper Fisher. With the temporarily departing Josh Rae and Ross Sinclair failing to impress, the new man will hopefully plug the league’s leakiest defence. Clean sheets win games as the saying goes.
Arguably the biggest loss will be Sanders but the money earned from that transfer could help bring in a player more suited to the manager’s vision. A-
St Mirren
In: Ryan Alebiosu (Kortrijk, loan), Zach Hemming (Middlesborough, loan), Owen Oseni (Gateshead, undisclosed)
Out: Ellery Balcombe (Brentford, loan), Charles Dunne (Coleraine), Lewis Jamieson (Sacramento Republic, undisclosed), Kieran Offord (Linfield, undisclosed)
The club’s activity, albeit limited, seems to indicate that the cause for the side’s recent loss of form doesn’t lie in its squad.
No doubt the club could have brought in four or five untested loanees but with this window, Stephen Robinson has placed faith in his current crop drive the side back into the top half of the table.
There are arrivals in Albiosu, the former Arsenal academy right back who, prior to his move to Belgium, had enjoyed a loan spell with Kilmarnock in the 2021-22 season. Hemming returns to the club for a second loan spell, with the manager preferring his ability to play out to the pure shot stopping of Balcombe.
The club missed out on Johnny Kenny on deadline day but Mikael Mandron’s recent form should appease that loss.
Charles Dunne leaves for Northern Ireland taking nearly a century of games’ experience with him.
Not the best window the fans will have ever seen, hoping it’ll be enough to see them through to the better half of the split for the third consecutive year. C-