Scottish Championship ins and outs - January 2018

Lewis Morgan has been sold to Celtic but loaned back to St Mirren

The January transfer window was more than a win-win for St Mirren - it has been win-win-win, thanks in large part to the sale of Lewis Morgan to Celtic.

Not only did it boost club finances by £300,000, but the influential winger immediately returned on loan for the rest of the season and the 21-year-old's continued influence helped the Buddies maintain the form that has now established an 11-point gap at the top of the Scottish Championship.

Tony Gallacher was the division's other big mover during January, the left-back joining Liverpool's development squad for £200,000 only weeks after Falkirk announced they were pulling out of the academy that developed the 18-year-old.

The Bairns have had the biggest turnover of players during January - Paul Hartley's first window in charge - and a major clear-out appeared to have paid off with four wins in five games as they have moved clear of the relegation play-off spot.

Tony Gallacher was sold by Falkirk to Liverpool

Among the exits was winger Myles Hippolyte, who was allowed to join St Mirren.

Among the replacements, former Partick Thistle midfielder Sean Welsh was rescued from eight months without a club, while Sunderland striker Andrew Nelson became a fixture in the starting line-up on loan.

Black Cats team-mate Tom Beadling joined him in Scotland's second tier by joining Allan Johnston's Dunfermline Athletic as their manager attempted to resurrect a faltering promotion bid by adding some players with greater experience - midfielders James Vincent, from Dundee, and James Craigen, from Falkirk, plus goalkeeper Lee Robinson from Queen of the South.

Faltering second-top Dundee United turned to less familiar corners of the globe under manager Csaba Laszlo.

Danish striker Emil Lyng arrived after a spell in Iceland with Knattspyrnufelag Akureyra, while two players were added on amateur terms - 19-year-old forward Idris Kadded, previously of French third-tier outfit Vauix-en-Velin, and 20-year-old midfielder Logan Martin, who has been on the books of Benfica and Genoa.

Frank Ross scored against Rangers for Aberdeen and then headed for Morton on loan

Elsewhere, clubs filled the gaps with youngsters plucked on loan from Premiership and English development squads.

Midfielder Frank Ross joined Greenock Morton soon after making an impact for Aberdeen with a stunning free-kick against Rangers, while Kilmarnock winger Dom Thomas and Rangers defender Myles Beerman joined Queen of the South.

Bulgarian 21-year-old Nikolay Todorov made a switch from Livingston to Queens on loan from Hearts as the Dumfries side compensated for the return of Chris Kane to St Johnstone just as the striker started to rediscover his shooting boots.

Also doing the rounds was Gregor Buchanan, whose move from St Mirren to Livingston means that the former Dunfermline and Dumbarton 27-year-old central defender has played for four of the Championship's 10 clubs within four years.

Brechin City were unable to fund any signings that look likely to save them from their isolated spot at the foot of the table.

Meanwhile, the recruitment of Iain Russell six months after the 35-year-old striker announced his retirement with League One outfit Airdrieonians is an indication that fellow part-timers Dumbarton were also struggling to compete in the transfer market.

Brechin City

In: Callum Tapping, midfielder (Queen of the South). Loan: Callumn Morrison, forward (Heart of Midlothian); Dylan Mackin, forward (Livingston).

Out: Ally Love, midfielder (Clyde); Elliot Ford, midfielder. Loan: Chris O'Neil, defender (Airdrieonians).

Dumbarton

In: Liam Dick, defender (Stranraer); Iain Russell, forward (unattached). Loan: Kevin Nisbet, forward (Partick Thistle); Andy Stirling, midfielder (Queen of the South).

Out: None. Loan ended: Ally Roy, forward (Heart of Midlothian); Greg Morrison, forward (Ross County). Loan: Kyle Prior, midfielder (BSC Glasgow).

Dundee United

In: Grant Gillespie, midfielder (Hamilton Academical); Emil Lyng, forward (Knattspyrnufelag Akureyra); Idris Kadded, forward (Vauix-en-Velin); Logan Martin, midfielder (Genoa). Loan: Brandon Mason, defender (Watford); Craig Slater, midfielder (Colchester United).

Out: Jordan Hornby, defender (Cowdenbeath); Harvey Dailly, defender; Joe Piggott, forward. Loan: Graham Taylor, midfielder (Edinburgh City); Brett Long, goalkeeper (Elgin City).

Dunfermline Athletic

In: Lee Robinson, goalkeeper (Queen of the South); James Craigen, midfielder (Falkirk). Loan: James Vincent, midfielder (Dundee); Tom Beadling, defender (Sunderland); Daniel Armstrong, midfielder (Wolverhampton Wanderers).

Out: David Hopkirk, forward (Derry City). Loan: Callum Smith, forward (Alloa Athletic); Brandon Luke, midfielder (Cowdenbeath); Paul Allan, defender (Hill of Beath Hawthorn).

Falkirk

In: Tommy Robson, defender (Sunderland); Louis Longridge, forward (Hamilton Academical); Sean Welsh, midfielder (unattached). Loan: Alex Jakubiak, forward (Watford); Conor Hazard, goalkeeper (Celtic); Andrew Nelson, forward (Sunderland); Ryan Blair, midfielder (Swansea City).

Out: Jimmy Nicholl, assistant manager (Rangers); Tony Gallacher, defender (Liverpool, undisclosed); Connor McBride, forward (Celtic); Myles Hippolyte, forward (St Mirren); Nathan Austin, forward (Inverness Caledonian Thistle); Luca Gasparotto, defender (Greenock Morton); Lee Miller, forward (Livingston); James Craigen, midfielder (Dunfermline Athletic); Mark Kerr, midfielder (Ayr United); Conrad Balatoni, defender; Liam Henderson, defender. Loan: Cameron Blues, midfielder (Edinburgh City)

Greenock Morton

In: Luca Gasparotto, defender (Falkirk); Conor Brennan, goalkeeper (Ballymena United). Loan: Frank Ross, midfielder (Aberdeen).

Out: Darren Barr, defender (Stirling Albion); Connor McManus, midfielder (East Fife); Cameron Hayes, defender. Loan ended: Ross Doohan, goalkeeper (Celtic). Loan: Ben Armour, forward (Annan Athletic); Scott Miller, forward (Troon).

Inverness Caledonian Thistle

In: Nathan Austin, forward (Falkirk).

Out: David Raven, defender (Wrexham); Alex Cooper, midfielder. Loan: Owain Fon Williams, goalkeeper (Indy Eleven); Zak Elbouzedi, midfielder (Elgin City); Aidan Wilson, forward (Brora Rangers).

Livingston

In: Lee Miller, forward (Falkirk); Gregor Buchanan, defender (St Mirren); Jack McMillan, defender (Motherwell). Loan: Ryan Hardie, forward (Rangers); Jordan Thompson, midfielder (Rangers).

Out: Dale Carrick, forward (Airdrieonians); Ross Brown, midfielder (Airdrieonians). Loan ended: James Penrice, defender (Partick Thistle); Nikolay Todorov, forward (Heart of Midlothian). Loan: Dylan Mackin, forward (Brechin City); Matthew Knox, forward (East Fife); Daniel Higgins (East Fife); Craig Henderson, midfielder (Cowdenbeath); Jack Hamilton, forward (Berwick Rangers); Kyle Sampson, forward (Penicuik Athletic).

Queen of the South

In: None. Loan: Myles Beerman, defender (Rangers); Joe Thomson, midfielder (Celtic); Dom Thomas, midfielder (Kilmarnock); Nikolay Todorov, forward (Heart of Midlothian); Kyle Cameron, defender (Newcastle United).

Out: Lee Robinson, goalkeeper (Dunfermline Athletic); Callum Tapping, midfielder (Brechin City). Loan ended: Chris Kane, forward (St Johnstone); Jason Kerr, defender (St Johnstone). Loan: Andy Stirling, midfielder (Dumbarton); Jesse Akubuine, midfielder (BSC Glasgow); Ewan Gourlay, defender (Dalbeattie Star).

St Mirren

In: Myles Hippolyte, forward (Falkirk); Ryan Flynn, midfielder (Oldham Athletic). Loan: Lewis Morgan, midfielder (Celtic); Mark Hill, midfielder (Celtic).

Out: Lewis Morgan, midfielder (Celtic, £300,000); Gregor Buchanan, defender (Livingston); Dale Hilson, forward (Forfar Athletic). Loan: Darryl Duffy, forward (Airdrieonians); Ross Stewart, forward (Alloa Athletic); Jordan Kirkpatrick, midfielder (Alloa Athletic); Cameron MacPherson, midfielder (Stranraer); Andrew McDonald, defender (Elgin City); Conor O'Keefe, midfielder (Annan Athletic); Evan Horne, midfielder (Annan Athletic).