Newcastle United had a positive transfer window in the summer bringing in now fewer than five summer signings.
Callum Wilson cost £20million but has brought proven goalscoring pedigree with him to Tyneside, while Jamal Lewis had interested Liverpool before his £13million move from Norwich City.
The Magpies were also active in the free agency market, acquiring Ryan Fraser, Jeff Hendrick and Mark Gillespie, while they also almost secured a loan deal for Arsenal defender Rob Holding.
In the end, United kept their loan spots free ahead of the January transfer window although one player who almost took up one of those spots was Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher.
The England under-21 international had impressed in loan spells with Charlton Athletic and Swansea City last term and the Blues were keen to send him to a bottom-half Premier League club to continue his development.
Newcastle had identified Gallagher as a potential answer to their creativity problems in midfield but in the end their interest never extended into a serious offer.
Instead, after a move to Crystal Palace fell through, it was West Brom who acquired the 20-year-old on a season-long loan deal.
Gallagher has quickly established himself as a key player in the Baggies' starting XI and has scored in each of his last two starts.
His West Brom side travel to Newcastle this weekend and with Portuguese playmaker Matheus Pereira missing through suspension, it will be Gallagher who will provide the Baggies' principal threat.
"Conor has been a really big success so far," Joe Chapman, West Brom correspondent for Birmingham Live, told Chronicle Live.
"Slaven Bilic and Frank Lampard played together at West Ham and have a good relationship but it did appear like he was going to go to Crystal Palace for a little while.
"They eventually turned to Michy Batshuayi and, of course, you are only allowed one loanee from any given club so Albion were able to pick the pieces up there with Gallagher.
"Being a Championship club last season, everybody was familiar with him. He had great success at Charlton and Lee Bowyer couldn't speak highly enough of him.
"Halfway through the season he went from a relegation battle to a promotion race and he did the same at Swansea.
"He has had a really big impact and the biggest compliment I can pay him is that he has looked like he has played at this level for years.
"He has looked really comfortable considering this is his first Premier League season in a team that is bound to struggle.
"He has been one of the Baggies' stand-out players, he has a couple of goals under his belt this season and he is certainly someone to keep an eye on."
