CARDIFF City and Norwich City were left frustrated when the emergency transfer deadline passed - and Stoke City paid an 'incredible' fee for Nigerian striker Shola Ameobi.
Both Cardiff and Norwich moved for Ameobi, but he signed for Stoke City when the Potters' Welsh manager Tony Pulis paid a loan fee of half a million pounds.
That fee covers Stoke's last six League games in the Championship - and will lead to a £3m permanent transfer during the summer.
Norwich manager Glenn Roeder described the loan fee as 'incredible' and added: "I would have liked Shola at Carrow Road, but I was consistently told by Sam Allardyce and then Kevin Keegan that he would not be let out on loan and that he had a future at Newcastle.
"We were always promised a phone call if and when that changed and I found out at seven o'clock on Thursday morning that he was travelling down to Stoke to tie up a loan deal until the end of the season.
"I have personally never heard of a higher fee for such a short period of time. Obviously Stoke are gambling that Shola can shoot them into the Premier League automatically."
Cardiff City went for Amerobi and another Premiership player over the last two days of the window - and were asked for a half a million fee in each case. The Bluebirds would also have had to pay all of the players wages.
In the past loans were done almost as a favour - and Premiership clubs would continue to pay some of their players wages because they wanted them to play matches.
Cardiff City have loaned goalkeeper David Forde to cash-strapped AFC Bournemouth and are paying all of his wages anyway to help the south coast club.
What's your view of the loan system? City moved for Robert Earnshaw, Michael Chopra, Ameobi and more. Who would you have liked to see at Ninian Park?