It was never expected to be a busy transfer window for Preston North End and that is certainly the case, 18 days into January.
The Lilywhites are yet to make any signings in the winter window, having brought eight new players to the club last summer. One of those was Liverpool loan man Calvin Ramsay though, who headed back to his parent club this week after making two appearances for PNE.
Outgoing business was always going to dictate North End's ability to recruit; Lewis Leigh is the only other departure, on loan to Crewe Alexandra for the rest of the season. This week, club director Peter Ridsdale reinforced the above point on the back of PNE's published accounts.
He said: “In the summer transfer window we made strides to develop and strengthen our squad. We signed eight players, one of the most active I have been involved in since joining the club. We are up against financial constraints and any January activity will need to be balanced with outgoings to keep us within the £39m, three-year cumulative losses limit set by the EFL."
With transfer news and rumours in relatively short supply, we've had a go at ranking and rating all 19 of Ryan Lowe's signings as PNE boss...
17. 3. Will Keane - 8.5/10
Signed for a miniscule fee this summer, Keane has proven to be a really smart pick up. His overall game is extremely polished and he's scored eight league goals in 19 appearances, with his goals-to-minute ratio the best in the squad. Played a vital role in the early part of the campaign and has been back in the goals of late. | CameraSport - Dave Howarth
18. 2. Cameron Archer - 9/10
Those entertaining early days under Lowe were all about Archer. A ruthless, fearless young striker who provided Preston fans with some amazing moments - West Brom, Hull and of course Blackpool. A special talent, now plying his trade in the Premier League. Photo: Clive Mason
19. 1. Tom Cannon - 9/10
Replacing Archer felt a massive challenge but Cannon notched one more goal than the previous loan star - and also netted against Blackpool. There was no fairy tale return in the summer, but his winning goal against Wigan was a huge moment for Lowe at the time. He breathed life into the second half of Preston's 2022/23 campaign. Photo: CameraSport - Alex Dodd