The fourth tier is an incredibly tight race this season and the January transfer window could end up being decisive in the promotion and relegation scraps at each end of the table.

This window is notoriously hard to do business in and can rip the heart out of the team when star players leave. So, who has come through this one relatively unscathed or even better, strengthened in key areas of the squad?

We have ranked, from 24-1, every side’s business in League Two based upon the winter window. Read on to see where we have put your team:

24. Walsall

In: Tyreik Wright – Aston Villa – Loan, Jayden Reid – Birmingham – Loan, Frank Vincent – Bournemouth – Loan, Max Melbourne – Lincoln – Loan, Derick Osei Yaw – Oxford – Loan

Out: Jake Scrimshaw – Bournemouth – End of loan, Adan George – Birmingham – End of loan, George Nurse – Bristol City – End of loan, Danny Guthrie – Released – F, Zak Jules – MK Dons – Und, Elijah Adebayo – Luton – Und

Walsall’s transfer window is hard to see in a positive light. They lost two key players in Zak Jules and Elijah Adebayo while promising loan striker Jake Scrimshaw left only to be loaned back out to a fourth tier rival. George Nurse has also gone and the players brought in are a risk in that they are unknown quantities. Frank Vincent didn’t have a great time at Scunthorpe in the first half of the campaign and Jayden Reid couldn’t get into the Barrow first team. Max Melbourne is at least decent while Tyreik Wright and Derick Osei could be exciting.

23. Morecambe

In: Brad Lyons – Blackburn – Loan, Kyle Letheren – Chesterfield – F, Alex Denny – Salford – Loan

Out: Adam Phillips – Burnley – End of loan

Derek Adams is the key man off the pitch for the Shrimps but to lose the key man on it is a real blow. Adam Phillips was such an important player for Morecambe this season that his departure feels pretty disastrous. With Adams in charge, it probably won’t be but it is truly hard to replace players like Phillips and although Alex Denny arrives from Salford, it’s hard to see him making anywhere near the impact of Adam Phillips.

22. Salford City

In: Robbie Gotts – Leeds – Loan, Tom James – Hibernian – Loan, Paul Coutts – Fleetwood – Loan

Out: Alex Denny – Morecambe – Loan

Salford wanted to add more firepower to their squad and were desperate to bag Will Grigg yet, in the end, they couldn’t get a deal over the line. For a team that wants to finish in the top three, this window feels like a missed opportunity. They have enough quality in the squad already but haven’t done a huge amount here to boost their promotion hopes.

21. Oldham Athletic

In: Marcel Hilssner – Coventry – Loan, Nicky Adams – Northampton – Und, Marcus Barnes – Unattached – F, Serhat Tasdemir – Peterborough – Loan

Out: Danny Rowe – Bradford – Und, Tom Hamer – Burton – Und, Jordan Barnett – Released

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with the players Oldham signed. They only issue is they didn’t get them in the right areas to address their needs. The Latics have the worst defensive record in League Two this season and if David Wheater is going to remain in the wilderness then signing a centre back and a strong defensive midfielder were surely the priorities? Nicky Adams and Marcel Hilssner are classy additions but Oldham did not plug the gaps as we’d have hoped.

20. Cambridge United

In: Jubril Okedina – Tottenham – Loan, Shilow Tracey – Tottenham – Loan, Declan Drysdale – Coventry – Loan, Ali Alese – West Ham – Loan

Out: Idris El Mizouni – Ipswich – End of loan, Harry Darling – MK Dons – Und, Robbie Cundy – Bristol City – End of loan

Cambridge are going for automatic promotion this season so losing a young star like Harry Darling is a big blow. Then to see Robbie Cundy recalled by Bristol City and sent to Gillingham was doubly hard to take. Yes, they have signed some decent replacements but they still don’t appear to have improved during this window, if Wes Hoolahan stays healthy it may not matter anyway.

19. Exeter City

In: Sam Stubbs – Fleetwood – Und, Jokull Andresson – Reading – Loan, Robbie Willmott – Newport – Loan

Out: Lewis Ward – Portsmouth – Loan, Nicky Law – Indy Eleven – F

The best piece of business Exeter did during this window was to keep Joel Randall. He is a great young prospect and Charlton made several attempts to sign him. It was good to see the Grecians stand firm on price. Other than that, it feels a bit underwhelming and it was also sad to see Nicky Law call time on his spell in Devon.

18. Port Vale

In: Jake Taylor – Nottm Forest – Und, Kurtis Guthrie – Bradford – Und, Thomas Scott – Unattached – F, Mustapha Olagunju – Huddersfield – Loan, Will Swann – Nottm Forest – Loan

Out: Mitch Clark – Leicester – End of loan

The most important thing for Vale is securing a new manager. This window was not that important but despite adding the talented Jake Taylor, it feels like they should have done a bit more especially defensively. The Burslem club started the season really well but they have struggled at the back in recent weeks and it doesn’t feel like they have improved in that department during January. The squad is solid enough already so there is no crisis and plenty for the new man in charge to work with.

17. Southend United

In: Greg Halford – Unattached – F, Sam Hart – Unattached – F, Louis Walsh – Unattached – F, Reeco Hackett-Fairchild – Portsmouth – Loan, Nathan Ferguson – Crawley – Und, Tyler Cordner – Bournemouth – Loan, Jacob Mellis – Gillingham – Und

Out: Kaziah Sterling – Tottenham – End of loan

Southend added some much-needed talent during the window even though, technically, a lot of them arrived before the window opened only for them not to be registered due to the embargo. It still feels as though they need a striker who can net them a few goals if they are to avoid the drop and Tyler Cordner is an underwhelming addition based upon his performances with Scunthorpe during the first half of the campaign. Time will tell, but the Blues may not have done quite enough here.

16. Newport County

In: Owen Windsor – West Brom – Loan, Jake Scrimshaw – Bournemouth – Loan, Jack Evans – Swansea – F, Luke Gambin – Colchester – Loan, Anthony Hartigan – Wimbledon – Loan, Dom Telford – Plymouth Argyle – Und, Priestley Farquharson – Connah’s Quay – Und, Nicky Maynard – Mansfield – Loan, Aaron Lewis – Lincoln – F

Out: Saikou Janneh – Bristol C – End of loan, Scott Twine – Swindon – End of loan, Brandon Cooper – Swansea – End of loan, Bradley Webb – Bristol C – End of loan, Aaron Lewis – Lincoln – End of loan, Jamie Devitt – Blackpool – End of loan, Tristan Abrahams – Leyton Orient – Loan, Robbie Willmott – Exeter – Loan, Jamie Proctor – Rotherham – End of loan

Newport get the award for the weirdest transfer window in the division. They did a lot but more is not always best and the recent run indicates they will miss Scott Twine and Brandon Cooper quite a bit. Bringing in so many players may not have the desired impact despite some quality additions and loaning out Tristan Abrahams and Robbie Willmott to sides also in the promotion mix is strange to say the least. Even so, Luke Gambin has started well and Dom Telford should be a decent addition. They do, however, rank first for the best social media posts on deadline day!

15. Harrogate Town

In: Josh March – Forest Green – Loan, William Hondermarck – Norwich – Loan, Jay Williams – Kettering – F, Mitchell Roberts – Birmingham – Loan, Josh McPake – Rangers – Loan, Simon Power – Norwich – Loan, Josh Andrews – Birmingham – Loan

Out: Joe Leesley – Boston United – Loan, Calvin Miller – Notts County – Loan, Tom Walker – Notts County – Loan, Jack Emmett – Released

This definitely feels like quantity over quality but Harrogate did need bodies after being unable to fill the bench in a number of games this season. Six loan signings is also slightly concerning as only five can be involved in a matchday squad but credit for landing Josh McPake, a talented wide player from Rangers and Josh March could finally prove his EFL credentials given time. A decent window from Town overall.

14. Scunthorpe United

In: Jem Karacan – Unattached – F, George Taft – Bolton – F, Teddy Howe – Blackpool – Loan

Out: Frank Vincent – Bournemouth – End of loan

Scunthorpe have addressed some big needs during this window. The signing of the experienced Jem Karacan will do wonders for their midfield and George Taft is already looking like great business. It would have been nice to see them land a striker but at least Kevin van Veen is back while Ryan Loft is finally finding his feet. All in all, not too bad from the Iron.

13. Colchester United

In: Aramide Oteh – QPR – Loan, Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu – Charlton – Und, Frank Nouble – Plymouth – Loan, Josh Doherty – Crawley – Loan

Out: Luke Norris – Stevenage – Und, Luke Gambin – Newport – Loan, Cohen Bramall – Lincoln – Und

The signing of Frank Nouble saved Colchester’s window, simply put. They not only need his presence in attack but they also need his big character. This is a team on a worrying slide and the data suggests it could get worse. Losing Cohen Bramall was not a big shock and Josh Doherty is a decent replacement while Aramide Oteh could prove useful. Let’s hope the U’s arrest the poor run and start bagging a few wins as we head into the business end of the season.

12. Grimsby Town

In: Sam Habergham – Unattached – F, Rollin Menayese – Mansfield – Loan, Jay Matete – Fleetwood – Loan, Stefan Payne – Tranmere – F, Idris El Mizouni – Ipswich – Loan, Lanell John-Lewis – Hereford – Und, Joe Adams – Brentford – Loan, Jake Eastwood – Sheff Utd – Loan, Joe Bunney – Unattached – F

Out: Owura Edwards – Bristol C – End of loan, James Morton – Bristol C – End of loan, James Tilley – Crawley – F, Terrell Taylor – Wolves – End of loan, Danny Preston – Nottm Forest – End of loan

Paul Hurst had to do something during this window and on a hectic final day, he bagged a couple of players who should improve the squad. Joe Adams is highly rated but still very young but Stefan Payne, Jay Matete and Idris El Mizouni are all good players. Lanell John-Lewis doesn’t immediately look like smart business but according to those in the know, his character and work rate helped Hurst turn things around at Shrewsbury when they were struggling. The new group need to gel quickly if the Mariners are to avoid the dreaded drop but they’ve had a good go at getting better here.

11. Cheltenham Town

In: Sam Smith – Reading – Loan, Indiana Vassilev – Aston Villa – Loan, Callum Wright – Leicester – Loan

Out: Reuben Reid – Yeovil – F

This window was not vital for the Robins. They have a great squad and also a top-class manager so just a couple of tweaks should be fine. Sam Smith adds a bit of competition and he proved at Cambridge what a good player he can be while Indiana Vassilev has a really cool name. Callum Wright is another young player for Michael Duff to mould, which he’s pretty good at, so this feels like a nice January for Cheltenham.

10. Forest Green Rovers

In: Baily Cargill – MK Dons – Und, Isaac Hutchinson – Derby – Loan, Josh Davison – Charlton – Loan

Out: Matty Stevens – Stevenage – Loan, Liam Kitching – Barnsley – Und, Josh March – Harrogate – Loan, Carl Winchester – Sunderland – Und

The loss of Liam Kitching and Carl Winchester stand out as negatives for the Nailsworth club when looking through the arrivals and departures but the club were quick to bag replacements with Baily Cargill and Isaac Hutchinson joining on a permanent and loan respectively. Josh Davison adds to the already impressive attacking options available to Mark Cooper who probably feels his side have enough to keep them in automatic promotion contention.

9. Stevenage

In: Luke Norris – Colchester – Und, Matty Stevens – Forest Green – Loan, Chris Lines – Northampton – F, Jay Bancroft – Oxford City – F, Joe Martin – Northampton – F, Jack Roles – Tottenham – Loan,

Out: Aramide Oteh – QPR – End of loan, Luiz Fernandes – Oxford City – Loan

Stevenage have not excelled in the recruitment department in recent windows yet this one gets a big thumbs up. Luke Norris will give them some strength up top while Matty Stevens is another nice option. Chris Lines has great experience and leadership as does Joe Martin and Jack Roles could be outstanding if he performs in a similar manner to the way he did at Cambridge when last at this level. Jay Bancroft will be hungry to show what he can do so no complaints about this January business whatsoever.

8. Crawley Town

In: Josh Wright – Leyton Orient – F, Mark Wright – Unattached – F, James Tilley – Grimsby – F, Jordan Maguire-Drew – Leyton Orient – Loan, Davide Rodari – Hastings – Und

Out: Max Watters – Cardiff – Und, Josh Doherty – Colchester – Loan, Nathan Ferguson – Southend – Und

Crawley’s window was excellent if only for landing a seven-figure windfall for a player they picked up for free in October. Losing Max Watters also means a big goal threat has left the building but getting that sort of income in a pandemic is just superb. The other additions all look solid with Josh Wright adding his experience in midfield and Jordan Maguire-Drew a bit of extra flair. Nice work from Crawley here.

7. Barrow

In: Neal Eardley – Burton – Loan., Dan Bramall – Barnsley – Loan, Tom Davies – Bristol Rovers – Loan, Ollie Banks – Tranmere – Loan, Jamie Devitt – Blackpool – Und, Bobby Thomas – Burnley – Loan, Dion Donohue – Swindon – F, Mikael Ndjoli – Bournemouth – F, Mace Goodridge – Burnley – Loan

Out: Jack Hindle – Released – F, Harrison Biggins – Fleetwood – End of loan, Dior Angus – Wrexham – F

Micheal Jolley has had a pretty nice first window at Barrow. They needed a big upgrade at the back and landing both Tom Davies and Bobby Thomas is good business. Jamie Devitt is a classy player when fit while Neal Eardley knows the level well. If this group can gel quickly then Barrow should push themselves up the table as their performances have deserved.

6. Tranmere Rovers

In: Nya Kirby – Crystal Palace – Loan, Charlie Jolley – Wigan – Und, Callum McDonald – Blackpool – Und, Ali Crawford – Bolton – Loan, David Nugent – Preston – Loan

Out: Jack Young – Newcastle – End of loan, Stefan Payne – Grimsby – F

Tranmere are a team to keep a very close eye on as we hit the run-in. They have one of the strongest squads in the division and added a couple of nice pieces this January. Callum McDonald making his loan permanent shouldn’t be overlooked while Ali Crawford is a good signing as a creative spark. David Nugent adds experience and nous to a side already containing James Vaughan while extending Danny Lloyd’s contract until the end of the season is a masterstroke.

5. Leyton Orient

In: Dan Kemp – West Ham – Und, Nick Freeman – Wycombe – Loan, Adam Thompson – Rotherham – F, Tristan Abrahams – Newport – Loan

Out: Josh Wright – Crawley – F, Jordan Maguire-Drew – Crawley – Loan

Leyton Orient had a great window. They addressed some needs without going overboard or signing players for the sake of it. Dan Kemp looks like he could be a great player if he continues to work hard while Nick Freeman is a very good midfielder. Adam Thompson is a bit of a coup, the defender was key in Bury’s promotion a couple of seasons ago and Tristan Abrahams is a proven goalscorer at this level – what’s not to like.

4. Carlisle United

In: Reece Bennett – Unattached – F, Offrande Zanzala – Crewe – F, Cedwyn Scott – Hebburn Town – Und, Morgan Feeney – Sunderland – F, Ethan Walker – Preston – Loan

Out: Gavin Reilly – Livingston – F, Max Hunt – Yeovil – F, Micah Obiero – Huddersfield – End of loan

If Carlisle had done nothing but extend Reece Bennett’s contract during January then it could have been labelled a good window but they did even more. Offrande Zanzala adds to an outstanding attacking core while Ethan Walker’s return is another positive move. Morgan Feeney will give competition in defence and Cedwyn Scott will be hungry to prove himself. Excellent work by the Cumbrians.

3. Mansfield Town

In: Stephen Quinn – Burton – Loan, George Lapslie – Charlton – Und, Jamie Pardington – Wolves – Loan, Oliver Sarkic – Blackpool – Loan

Out: Rollin Menayese – Grimsby – Loan, Andy Cook – Bradford – Loan, Nicky Maynard – Newport – Loan

Mansfield Town have enjoyed a very good transfer window. The signing of George Lapslie on a permanent deal is the standout piece of business. The midfielder has helped transform a team who were starring down the barrel of relegation to being a side with genuine play-off hopes. Stephen Quinn adds more experience and Nigel Clough’s decision to bring in Oliver Sarkic could prove an inspired one. The forward played his best football under the Mansfield boss at Burton and will be hoping to kick on again under his guidance. Getting Andy Cook and Nicky Maynard off the wage bill also deserves credit. A really nice window for the Stags.

2. Bolton Wanderers

In: Declan John – Swansea – Loan, Kieron Lee – Unattached – F, Zack Elbouzedi – Lincoln – Loan, Ben Jackson – Huddersfield – Loan, Luke Jensen – Burnley – Loan, Oladapo Afolayan – West Ham – Loan, MJ Williams – Blackpool – Und, Marcus Maddison – Charlton – Loan

Out: George Taft – Scunthorpe – F, Peter Kioso – Luton – End of loan, Ali Crawford – Tranmere – Loan

Bolton needed a big window and got just that. They needed a left-back and signed Declan John, the needed quality in midfield and landed MJ Williams and Kieron Lee. They wanted more pace and brought in Oladapo Afolayan while bringing Marcus Maddison to League Two should be illegal. If Ian Evatt can get the best out of the former Peterborough man, then expect the Trotters to really improve in the second half of the season.

1. Bradford City

In: Will Huffer – Bradford Park Avenue – Und, Jordan Stevens – Leeds – Loan, Niall Canavan – Plymouth – Und, Rurman Burrell – Middlesbrough – Loan, Matthew Foulds – Como – F, Danny Rowe – Oldham – Und, Andy Cook – Mansfield – Loan, Charles Vernam – Burton – Und, Ollie Crankshaw – Wigan – Und

Out: Kurtis Guthrie – Port Vale – Und, Tyler French – Released, Dyan Mottley-Henry – Released

Bradford conducted a wonderful, and very much needed, transfer window. Where they managed to find the funds is anyone’s guess but impressive nonetheless. Danny Rowe has already made an impact while Niall Canavan is an experienced defender with a promotion from last season still fresh on his C.V. Charles Vernam is perhaps the best pick up and they now have depth, energy and a real sense of direction. Terrific work from the Bantams.

words James Richards, D3D4 Football