Cisse, Sigurdsson and Jelavic: Has January 2012 Been the Most Successful Ever?

January transfer windows are known for panic buying, disruption and dissatisfaction. Just ask Mr. Torres and Mr. Carroll.

However, has 2012 bucked a trend?

The overall spending in the window was £65 million, which is a tiny amount when you compare it to last year’s mammoth £225 million spent. It was also lower than 2008 (£182 million) and 2009 (£200 million).

The players that have arrived have also taken very little time to settle in. Strikers, especially, can take a while to bed into a new team, and January is often a perilous time for attackers. This year, we have been blessed with the arrival of players such as Cisse, Jelavic and Pogrebnyak. And all have made instant impacts.

Combined, the four forwards gave scored 26 league goals since arriving in England, from a grand total of 36 games. They cost a sum of £ 19.5 million (Pogrebnyak arrived on an undisclosed fee).

Compare this to the dismal failure of last year’s buys, Carroll and Torres, who scored three goals between them. Dzeko moved from Wolfsburg to Manchester City at the cost of £27 million and managed only two goals. Only Demba Ba and Bent really made any sort of impact. Ba scored seven goals in 10 appearances while Bent moved to Aston Villa for £24 million and managed nine goals in 16 showings.

It’s not only strikers that have had a happy time post-January. Swansea captured up-and-coming Icelandic star Gylfi Sigurdsson from Hoffenheim on loan, and the youngster has hit the back of the net seven times in 15 games. Meanwhile, experienced midfielder Steven Pienaar returned to Everton after a frustrating time at Tottenham and has scored three goals and set up seven more in 13 games.

But why has this year been so frugal?

For one, the financial fair play rules mean that chairmen are no longer as willing to sanction massive transfers. The biggest transfer of the season was Newcastle’s £10 million singing of Papiss Cisse, who they bought with the Carroll money.

The inflated fees that clubs are being asked to pay for players with talent is also putting off teams stumping up millions for players who may or may not have the ability to change a club's fortunes. Eden Hazard might be worth £30 million, and Neymar £40 million, but you know the market is inflated when sides have to pay £20 million to sign a player like Jordan Henderson.

The January window has shown that you don’t need to break the bank to acquire bargains. Long may that continue.