There were surprise late deals, optimism, frustration and despair shared up and down the Championship as the winter transfer window came to a close on Monday night. There were 224 deals done by 24 clubs, even if Leeds United and Bristol City didn’t sign anyone.

Sheffield United have made two signings based on an AI model introduced by new owners, bringing in Nigerian forward Christian Nwachukwu, aged 19, from Botev Plovdiv and Peruvian winger Jefferson Caceres, 22, from FBC Melgar for undisclosed fees.

Chris Wilder’s other business was slightly less leftfield, with 29-year-old defender Rob Holding joining from Crystal Palace to try to plug a hole left by Harry Souttar’s season-ending injury.

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Wilder said via the Sheffield Star: “With the collaborative way we work with regards signings, the options available to the club under the new ownership allows us to cast our net further afield.

“I've spoken previously about how we are looking to be more data driven with some of our targets, and we have explored the use of this to find players which were previously not on our radar. Jefferson has been identified using this strategy, and he's a young lad who we're keen to develop.”

Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion woke up on Tuesday morning still hoping for the green light on bringing in Jayden Danns and Adam Armstrong respectively.

Swansea got a loan deal over the line for Lewis O’Brien from Nottingham Forest after selling Matt Grimes to Coventry City – but their January business has not landed well with supporters.

“Even by their own standards, this January window was, however you look at it, a total disaster,” said Swansea reporter Tom Coleman, as he reflected on the early days under new owners.

“For all the bluster and the PR charm offensives, this month always felt like it would be the first real test for the new regime. Sadly, whatever metric you use, it's a test they've failed miserably. One can only wonder what majority owners Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen make of it all.”

Derby County had gone into the final hours of business looking for a creative midfielder and pace in attack, bringing in Harrison Armstrong on loan from Everton in hope he can tick the first box but there were no other incomings.

Leigh Curtis wrote for DerbyshireLive: “Judging by the reaction on social media, to say the fans were not overly enamoured would be an understatement. But when you are a run on seven straight league defeats and sitting in the bottom three, it was always going to be hard to lift the mood of a fanbase that is justifiably concerned over the direction of travel.

“The problem in analysing the window as a whole becomes incredibly difficult when emotions are running high and only a significant upturn in results is going to replace grey clouds with rainbows. Derby could have signed Lionel Messi this month but if the team keeps on losing, the outlook will never change regardless of who wears the shirt.”

Middlesbrough announced the signing of Kelechi Iheanacho as they kicked off for what would be a 3-2 defeat to Sunderland. They are still expected to sell Emmanuel Latte Lath to Atlanta United for £22.5 million.

Alex Neil has been very busy since joining Millwall, signing eight players, including seven on permanent deals. He has brought back Zak Lovelace, who made his debut for Millwall at the age of 15 in 2021 before moving to Rangers in 2022.

Hull have been frantic too under Neil’s old head of recruitment from his Stoke days, Jared Dublin. They have also signed eight players, including a big money loan deal for Louie Barry and Monaco midfielder Eliot Matazo, who is whispered to be taking home £45,000-a-week.

"Absolutely, yes," manager Ruben Selles told HullLive when asked if he was happy with the club's business. "When we talked with the club when we joined the club, we knew the kind of players and the characters that we wanted to bring into the building, and I think the club has been working really hard to support our idea.”

Plymouth Argyle believe they have given themselves a fighting chance of staying up after Miron Muslic made five signings, including centre-backs Maksym Talovierov and Nikola Katic.

Plymouth reporter Chris Errington wrote: “They, rightly, made strengthening their defensive options a priority. After all, the Pilgrims have the worst goals against record in all three divisions of the EFL with 63, which is 11 more than Portsmouth. Unless they addressed that glaring weakness there was simply no chance of them staying up.

“The big question mark, though, is do they have enough firepower within their ranks to score the goals they are going to need to win games? The answer to that will only become clear in time, and it will likely decide whether Argyle can avoid the drop into League One.”

Championship transfer business in winter window

Leeds United

In:

Out: Charlie Crewe (Doncaster Rovers, loan), Joe Gelhardt (Hull City, loan), Sonny Perkins (Leyton Orient, undisclosed), Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen (Dunfermline Athletic, free)

Sheffield United

In: Ben Brereton-Diaz (Southampton, loan), Tom Cannon (Leicester City, undisclosed), Hamza Choudhury (Leicester City, loan), Harry Clarke (Ipswich Town, loan) Rob Holding (Crystal Palace, loan), Christian Nwachukwu (Botev Plovdiv, undisclosed), Jefferson Caceres (FBC Melgar, undisclosed)

Out: Ismaila Coulibaly (LASK, undisclosed), Anis Ben Slimane (Norwich City, undisclosed), Sam Curtis (St Johnstone, loan), Louie Marsh (Fleetwood Town, loan)

Burnley

In: Oliver Sonne (Silkeborg, undisclosed), Ashley Barnes (Norwich City, free), Jonjo Shelvey (Eyupspor, free), Marcus Edwards (Sporting, loan), Jaydon Banel (Ajax, undisclosed)

Out: Benn Ward (Accrington Stanley, undisclosed), Han-Noah Massengo (Auxuerre, loan), Andreas Hountondji (Standard Liege, loan), Michael Mellon (Bradford City, loan), Owen Dodgson (Burton Albion, loan), Hjalmar Ekdal (Groningen, loan), Hannes Delcroix (Swansea City), Joe Westley (Swindon Town, loan), Jay Rodriguez (Wrexham, undisclosed), Joseph Bevan (Carlisle United, loan), Lewis Richardson (York City, loan) John Egan (Hull City, undisclosed), Dara Costelloe (Northampton Town, loan)

Sunderland

In: Enzo le Fee (Roma, loan), Wilson Isidor (Zenit St Petersburg, undisclosed)

Out: Zak Johnson (Notts County, loan), Nazariy Rusyn (Hajduk Split, loan), Adil Aouchiche (Portsmouth, loan), Nathan Bishop (Cambridge United, loan), Abdoullah Ba (USL Dunkerque, loan)

Blackburn Rovers

In: Adam Forshaw (Plymouth Argyle, free), Dion Sanderson (Birmingham City, loan), Augustus Kargbo (Cesena, undisclosed), Yuri Ribeiro (Braga, undisclosed), Cauley Woodrow (Luton Town, loan), Emmanuel Dennis (Nottingham Forest, loan)

Out: Felix Goddard (Ebbsfleet United, loan), Leo Duru (Barrow, loan), Dilan Markanday (Leyton Orient, loan), Connor O’Riordan (Crewe Alexandra, loan), Jake Garrett (Tranmere Rovers, loan), Joe Hilton (Bradford City, undisclosed), Exauce Mafoumbi (Lierse, loan)

West Bromwich Albion

In: Isacc Price (Standard Liege, undisclosed), Will Lankshear (Tottenham Hotspur, loan), Tammer Baney (Randers, undisclosed)

Out: Reyes Cleary (Hartlepool United, loan), Caleb Taylor (Wycombe Wanderers, loan), Alex Palmer (Ipswich Town, undisclosed)

Middlesbrough

In: Morgan Whittaker (Plymouth Argyle, undisclosed), George Edmundson (Ipswich Town, undisclosed), Ryan Giles (Hull City, loan), Mark Travers (Bournemouth, loan), Josh Dede (Celtic, free), Samuel Iling-Junior (Aston Villa, loan), Kelechi Iheanacho (Seville, Middlesbrough)

Out: Isaiah Jones (Luton Town, undisclosed), Zach Hemming (St Mirren, loan), Samuel Silvera (Blackpool, loan), Micah Hamilton (Stockport County, loan), Matt Clarke (Derby County, undisclosed), Ajay Matthews (Millwall, undisclosed), Alex Gilbert (Charlton Athletic, loan)

Norwich City

In: Anis Ben Slimane (Sheffield United, undisclosed), Maej Jurasek (Slavia Prague, undisclosed), Lewis Dobbin (Aston Villa, loan), Ruairi McConville (Brighton and Hove Albion, undisclosed), Jacob Wright (Manchester City, loan)

Out: Christian Fassnacht (Young Boys, free), Archie Mair (Motherwell, loan), Jonathan Tomkinson (Ross County, loan), Brad Hills (Stockport County, loan), Ben Aboh (Colchester United, loan), Jaden Warner (Newport County, free)

Bristol City

In:

Out: Rob Atkinson (Portsmouth, loan), Tommy Backwell (Cheltenham Town, loan), Fally Mayulu (Sturm Graz, loan), Kal Naismith (Luton Town, loan), Tommy Backwell (Cheltenham Town, undisclosed), Omar Taylor-Clarke (Dunfermline Athletic, free), Ephraim Yeboah (Dunfermline Athletic, loan)

Sheffield Wednesday

In: Stuart Armstrong (Vancouver Whitecaps, undisclosed), Ibrahim Cissoko (Toulouse, loan)

Out: Sean Fusire (Carlisle United, loan), Rio Shipston (Cork City, loan)

Coventry City

In: Matt Grimes (Swansea City, undisclosed),

Out: Kai Andrews (Motherwell, loan), Fabio Tavares (Burton Albion, loan)

Watford

In: James Abankwah (Udinese, loan), Egil Selvik (Udinese, undisclosed), Caleb Wiley (Chelsea, loan)

Out: Antonio Tikvic (Grazer, loan), Ryan Porteous (Preston North End, loan), Myles Roberts (Bristol Rovers, loan)

Millwall

In: Aaron Connolly (Sunderland, free), Tristan Crama (Brentford, undisclosed), Ajay Matthews (Middlesbrough, undisclosed), Luke Cundle (Wolves, undisclosed), Camiel Neghli (Sparta Rotterdam, undisclosed), Benicio Bailey (Brighton and Hove Albion, undisclosed), Zac Lovelate (Rangers, undisclosed), Zak Sturge (Chelsea, loan)

Out: Tom Bradshaw (Oxford United, undisclosed), Romaine Esse (Crystal Palace, undisclosed), Adam Mayor (Bromley, loan), Connal Trueman (MK Dons, undisclosed)

Queens Park Rangers

In: Ronnie Edwards (Southampton, loan), Harvey Vale (Chelsea, undisclosed), Esquerdinha (Fluminense, undisclosed), Yang Min-hyoek (Tottenham Hotspur, loan)

Out: Hevertton (Vitoria, loan)

Preston North End

In: Lewis Gibson (Plymouth Argyle, undisclosed), Jayden Meghoma (Brentford, loan), Ryan Porteous (Watford, loan)

Out: Jeppe Okkels (Aberdeen, loan), Kaedyn Kamara (Marine, loan) Kian Best (Bohemian, loan), Layton Stewart (Thun, loan)

Oxford United

In: Ole Romeny (Utrecht, undisclosed), Tom Bradshaw (Millwall, undisclosed), Michal Helik (Huddersfield Town, undisclosed), Alex Matos (Chelsea, loan), Stanley Mills (Everton, undisclosed)

Out: Will Goodwin (Wigan Athletic, loan), Stephan Negru (Salford City, loan), Louie Sibley (Rotherham United, loan), Kyle Edwards (Stevenage, undisclosed), Owen Dale (Wigan Athletic, loan)

Swansea City

In: Hannes Delcroix (Burnley, loan), Lewis O’Brien (Nottingham Forest, loan), Melker Widell (AaB, undisclosed)

Out: Azeem Abdulai (Leyton Orient, undisclosed), Nathan Broome (Port Vale, loan), Josh Thomas (Drogheda United, loan), Matt Grimes (Coventry City, undisclosed), Melker Widell (AaB, loan)

Stoke City

In: Josh Wilson-Esbrand (Manchester City, loan), Ali Al-Hamadi (Ipswich Town, loan)

Out: Freddie Anderson (Cork City, loan), Niall Ennis (Blackpool, loan), Darius Lipsiuc (Walsall, loan)

Cardiff City

In: Yousef Salech (Sirius), Will Alves, Leicester City, loan)

Out: Malachi Eagan-Walcott (York City, undisclosed), Thomas Davies (Newport County, undisclosed), Ryotaro Tsunoda (Kortrijk, loan), Joel Colvill (Exeter City, loan), Manolis Siopis (Panathinaikos, undisclosed), Kion Etete (Bolton Wanderers, loan), Michael Reindorf (Bristol Rovers, loan)

Portsmouth

In: Thomas Waddingham (Brisbane Road, undisclosed), Hayden Matthews (Sydney FC, undisclosed), Rob Atkinson (Bristol City, loan), Isaac Hayden (Newcastle United, loan), Cohen Bramall (Rotherham United, undisclosed), Adil Aouchiche (Sunderland, loan), Ben Killip (Barnsley, undisclosed), Kaide Gordon (Liverpool, loan)

Out: Elias Sorensen (Valerenga, undisclosed), Anthony Scully (Colchester United, loan), Tom Lowery (Crewe Alexandra, loan), Ben Stevenson (Cambridge United, free), Anthony Scully (Colchester United, loan), Will Norris (Wycombe Wanderers, free), Tom McIntyre (Charlton Athletic, loan), Owen Moxon (Stockport County, undisclosed)

Hull City

In: Matt Crooks (Real Salt Lake, undisclosed), Nordin Amrabat (AEK Athens, free), Kyle Joseph (Blackpool, undisclosed), Eliot Matazo (Monaco, undisclosed), Joe Gelhardst (Leeds United, loan), Lincoln (Fenerbahce, loan), John Egan (Burnley, undisclosed)

Out: Will Jarvis (Notts County, undisclosed), Henry Sandat (Sutton United), Ryan Longman (Wrexham, undisclosed), Marvin Mehlem (Paderborn, loan), Jake Leake (Oldham Athletic, loan), Ryan Giles (Middlesbrough, loan), Andy Smith (Gillingham, loan), Yuriel Celi (Club Universitario de Deportes, undisclosed), Xavier Simons (Wycombe Wanderers, loan)

Derby County

In: Lars Jorgen-Salvesen (Viking, undisclosed), Matt Clarke (Middlesbrough, undisclosed), Sondre Langas (Viking, undisclosed), Harrison Armstrong (Everton, loan)

Out: Ben Radcliffe (Crawley Town, undisclosed), James Collins (undisclosed), Sonny Bradley (Wycombe Wanderers, loan), Emmanuel Ilesanmi (Torquay United, loan), Eiran Cashin (Brighton and Hove Albion, undisclosed)

Luton Town

In: Chris Makosso (RWD Molenbeek, undisclosed), Isaiah Jones (Middlesbrough, undisclosed), Kal Naismith (Bristol City, loan), Theo Aasgaard (Wigan Athletic, undisclosed), Millenic Alli (Exeter City, £1.5m), Josh Bowler (Nottingham Forest, loan), Lasse Nordas (Tromso, undisclosed)

Out: Joe Taylor (Huddersfield Town, undisclosed), Aribim Pepple (Chesterfield, loan), Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu (Rotherham United, loan), Cauley Woodrow (Blackburn Rovers, loan), Tom Holmes (Dender, loan), Allan Campbell (Dundee United, free)

Plymouth Argyle

In: Michael Baidoo (Elfsborg, undisclosed), Tymoteusz Puchacz (Holstein Kiel, loan), Maksym Taloveirov (LASK, undisclosed), Nikola Katic (Zurich, loan), Malachi Boateng (Hearts, undisclosed), Marko Marosi (Cambridge United, free), Adam Forshaw (Blackburn Rovers, free), Andre Gray (Fatih Karagumruk, free)

Out: Lewis Gibson (Preston North End, undisclosed), Morgan Whittaker (Middlesbrough, undisclosed)

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