THE January transfer window shut with little fanfare at Oxford United last night.

Although the market closed at 11pm, there was no late drama at the end of a day which saw one deal completed.

Todd Kane signed on loan from Chelsea for the rest of the season to bolster the squad at right back.

But while there was disappointment from some supporters United did not add to their attacking unit, a significant boost came in the form of not losing any key players.

Fears the club’s hardball approach over Simon Eastwood and Ryan Ledson this month was designed to extract the best deal proved unfounded and there was no speculation over the pair’s immediate future yesterday.

In terms of reinforcements, United’s main business was carried out early in the month when they signed the highly-rated Rob Dickie and Cameron Brannagan for undisclosed fees from Reading and Liverpool respectively.

January saw the average age of the squad fall, with Kane the oldest of the five new recruits at only 24.

His deal was completed by early afternoon, but it remained a hectic move for the Chelsea youth product.

Kane has been on loan with Groningen this season and only got the call to return from the Netherlands on Tuesday.

While the nine-hour drive came in a rush, it was a journey he made happily – unlike his six previous loan moves, he can stay at home in Surrey.

“I had a couple of options in Holland and England in League One,” said Kane, who played under Michael Appleton during a spell at Blackburn Rovers in 2013.

“But I just felt this was best for me on the pitch because I’ve been away for such a long period most of my loans have been away from fam-

ily.

“I had a good conversation with the people around me and it was the right decision to come here.

“If you’re happy off the pitch you’re happy on it and I think it will be a massive plus.

“It was a nice drive to be honest knowing I was coming back home. I’m just looking forward to it.”