Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill says he was unwilling to spend big in January and will save his transfer cash until the summer.
O'Neill wrapped up the loan signings of Wayne Bridge and Sotirios Kyrgiakos, while he was willing to pay a small fee for Kevin Davies but Bolton put a block on the move.
The Black Cats boss was happy with his business in the January window though, and will look to spend the bulk of his cash in the summer when there will be more value for money.
"I think getting someone in during January, and paying a lot of money to do so, was not something I was going to great lengths to do," O'Neill revealed.
"I don't think we were in the same kind of position as QPR, for example, to do a lot in January. I would rather do my transfer business in the summer if at all possible.
"We made a tentative enquiry for Kevin Davies at Bolton, but that did not work out.
"At one stage it looked like it might, because he had not been playing regularly there and it would have been good to bring someone like that in to work alongside our younger lads."