Ultimately, the top leagues in Europe caused a shuffle rather than a stir.
January reinforcements have often been seen as more panic buys than masterstrokes and there were no real surprises for sports betting fans.
That’s not to say those on the move during the transfer window won’t make an impact in football games.
In La Liga, the title betting odds on Sevilla would have been strengthened had they been successful with an 11th-hour bid to secure the signature of Dimitri Payet who, of course, ended up returning to France.
But in Walter Montoya, Clement Lenglet and Stevan Jovetic, in particular, the club can consider itself satisfied with its transfer business.
In truth, not only did France and China dominate the financial deals, La Liga was also behind the Belgian, Russian and Turkish leagues as Spanish top-flight clubs splashed out just under 24 million Euros – Sevilla being responsible for almost half of that.
With Barcelona holding off and both Madrid clubs banned from signing players due to FIFA-imposed sanctions, the focus very much lays elsewhere.
The loan arrival of Simone Zaza at Valencia has boosted a club which is in a much better place now than it was at the start of the window; former Real man Jese has returned to Spain with Las Palmas, while another to watch out for is Adrian Lopez at Villarreal.
But that was that.
There was a similar lack of big-name moves in Serie A, although forward Leonardo Pavoletti could prove a coup after he left Genoa for Napoli at a cost of £18 million.
Likewise, it will be interesting to see how Venezuelan midfielder Tomas Rincon develops at Juventus and, in the long-term, defender Mattia Caldara who was immediately loaned back to Atalanta for the next season and a half.
After two departures (Pavoletti and Rincon), Genoa went loan-crazy with deals galore, including Moroccan midfielder Adel Taarabt.
It could prove a fascinating development after his fall-out with the hierarchy at parent club Benfica, amid claims of partying and fitness issues.
Another former English Premier League player sampling life in Italy is the Ghanaian midfielder Sulley Muntari who will have achieved his ultimate feat if he manages to keep strugglers Pescara up.
And then there are the Milan giants: Spanish winger Gerard Deulofeu will hope to shine in AC Milan on loan from Everton, while Inter have an Australian defender, plying his trade in China, on loan in Trent Sainsbury.
Unlike in Spain and Italy, there was a big-name move in Germany.
Sadly for the Bundesliga, it was the loss of Julian Draxler to PSG.
On saying that, former employers Wolfsburg will ensure there is a new lease of life with Yunus Malli – a player with six goals and seven assists for Mainz – and Paul-Georges Ntep compelling replacements.
Life certainly won’t be dull at the Volkswagen Arena.
Mainz have also recruited well to replace Mali with Bojan Krkic, probably more suited to the German game than the English league, for all its similarities.
The forgotten man Holger Badstuber has swapped Bavaria for Gelsenkirchen and, if he can avoid injury, could prove an excellent addition for FC Schalke.
For renaissance, also read Neven Subotic who will strengthen FC Koln if he returns to the form which made him a double-league winner at Dortmund.
Amongst a number of lower key deals, the final word should go to a French defender who won the Europa League twice at Sevilla and will undoubtedly strengthen Borussia Monchengladbach.
How German commentators must be relieved that Timothee Kolodziejczak has chosen to have ‘Kolo’ on the back of his shirt!
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