Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is pleased with the work achieved in the January market.
Sunderland completed the signing of playmaker Stephane Sessegnon from Paris St Germain and a loan deal for Inter Milan winger Sulley Muntari over the weekend while fringe players David Healy, Andy Reid and Paulo Da Silva have left the club.
But they have all been overshadowed by star striker Darren Bent's move to Aston Villa earlier this month, with Bruce frustrated in his efforts to sign a replacement.
He said: "I'm delighted with the work we've done. I'm delighted to bring in Sessegnon and Muntari. Of course, halfway through the window we didn't expect the sale of Darren, and all the time we were looking to bring in reinforcements in midfield.
"That changed our thinking a little bit but it just goes to show how far the club has come that we can attract players from Paris St Germain and Inter Milan to come and play here. If somebody had told me that 18 months ago, I wouldn't have believed it.
"The progress we've made has enabled us to bring in two quality players like those two so I think the squad is stronger in that respect. The big problem is the loss of Darren.
"It's rocked us in that department and it's fair to say we were looking (at strikers) but the people we've tried to bring to the club, it hasn't been possible, so we'll just have to wait."
