Have West Brom ended up with the better end of the bargain?

But back on the first day of the month things weren't looking so rosy - especially after the news that Jeremy Sarmiento had been recalled by Brighton, before being farmed back out on loan to Ipswich.

Some Albion fans at the time insisted it wasn't a great loss, given his form was patchy.

Others said it was a blow. And looking at the bigger picture then, it probably was. At the time more because it was one less body in the squad at a time where Albion couldn't really afford to lose more personnel.

In terms of his displays, yes they were inconsistent, but he certainly had something and that was underlined by his match winner at Cardiff City.

With more game time, I've no doubt he will have continued to improve.

So losing him was a blow - but did Saturday's draw at Portman Road give us a glimpse of why Albion might have come out on the better end of the January transfer window deal?

Sarmiento's replacement came in on the final day of the window, in the form of Mikey Johnston. You could argue Andi Weimann counts as a replacement, but as an out and out winger, it is Johnston.

Little was and still is known of the Celtic academy graduate, and he didn't do a massive amount at Ipswich.

However, he showed how direct, how pacey and how key he may be for Albion in the coming weeks and months.

One one occasion he burst through three players before playing in Pipa with the pass just slightly undercooked.

And on a couple of occasions he helped to drag Albion up the pitch at key times.

It is clear to see there is much more to come from the loanee. In contrast, Sarmiento, a player who Brighton recalled to reportedly give him more game time, was on the bench.

And when he came on for the final 14 minutes, he made little impact.

A few weeks ago his departure was seen as a dent in Albion's play-off hopes, but could it have arguably been a blessing?