Just like every other recent transfer window, Fulham’s business went into added time. But, as a result of the Whites’ excellent first half of the campaign, a little bit of the tension accompanying deadline day was not present. This window was about building on a brilliant return to the top flight rather than desperately dashing around trying to carry out major surgery on a squad that was struggling to compete in the Premier League. There wasn’t as much drama and Marco Silva got exactly what he wanted. By those metrics, there’s little room for complaint.

We read for ages that Cedric Soares was Silva’s main target. The reasons why were obvious. Aside from putting that crucial cross for Aleksandar Mitrovic late on against Brentford in August, Kevin Mbabu’s start at Craven Cottage has been pretty underwhelming. Signed to push Kenny Tete for a first team spot, it sounds as if the Swiss defender has only succeeded in testing Silva’s patience. He has worked with Soares before – winning a trophy in their time together at Sporting – and the experienced Portuguese international has proper Premier League pedigree. The protracted nature of the negotiations frustrated everyone, but Fulham have eventually got their man.

The Fulham head coach was also determined to add some strength in depth in midfield. The importance of Harrison Reed, turned into a different type of midfielder under Silva, and Joao Palhinha, a complete revelation since his summer arrival from Portugal, has been obvious since the start of the season. An injury or suspension to the heartbeat of their midfield could prove disastrous. The Whites were keen to pursue Sander Berge, but that became a non-starter once Sheffield United decreed that none of their best players would be leaving as they chased promotion. Sasa Lukic shouldn’t be anyone’s second choice: a consistent performer in Italy, a regular in a successful Serbian side over the past eighteen months, and a signing who provides high quality versatility in a number of midfield roles. At a rumoured initial fee of around £8m, that seems like another shrewd bit of business.

In order to get Cedric in on loan, Fulham had to turn Shane Duffy’s own temporary move into a permanent one. There appears to have been a bit of grumbling about this, but having tried and tested top flight cover in what has been a historical problem position for the club is no bad thing. Given their lack of headroom due to the FFP, this should rate as a pretty successful window for the Whites. They’ve managed to add depth in the places where a high achieving head coach wanted to and have trimmed some of the squad’s dead wood effectively. Perhaps most importantly of all, Fulham have not lost a key player at a crucial time of the season. There would have been interest – nobody’s quite sure of how serious the rumours were linking Manchester City with a move for Antonee Robinson once again – but Silva’s squad will be at full strength for the remainder of the season.

In some corners of the internet, there has been some consternation about the lack of another striker. But I think this is largely caused by Fulham’s own circumstances. They have a very definite starting number nine – and we have thankfully moved on from the era where one of the biggest doubters of Mitrovic’s ability was the club’s very own manager. Mitrovic has proven that he can perform on the big stage and, if fit, he will start almost every game. That makes signing a back-up forward incredibly difficult. Carlos Vinicius has shown he can score on the big occasion and, if you are only stepping into an unfamiliar side once in a while without any match practice, then some of your performances will be underwhelming. Attracting another forward, who would only be fighting with the Brazilian for a spot on the bench at best, would be exceptionally difficult – especially in January.

These winter windows are the toughest time to make smart acquisitions. It appears as if Fulham have brought in a pair of excellent additions whilst remaining financially responsible. It is a measure how well the side is doing at present that nothing more was necessary. They’ll be plenty of excitement on the field between now and May, when Silva and the powers-that-be will be able to assess what needs doing next.