January lull before summer transfer frenzy begins

The winter transfer window is like an appointment with the dentist. 

No one likes it, you can’t escape it, and you hope it won’t prove painful (or cost too much). That numb sensation you feel afterwards may partly be disappointment, despite the heroic efforts of Sky TV and Jim White, but it’s mainly relief.

Always an uneasy time both for clubs and players, this window has been even more tricky than usual.