Motherwell have secured the return of Louis Moult on a season-long loan from Burton.
There was major uncertainty over whether the deal would be ratified but the cinch Premiership club finally announced the transfer 16 hours after the deadline.
The 30-year-old striker scored 50 goals in 98 games before leaving for Preston in January 2018 but has endured some injury frustration in the intervening years.
“To get Louis on board is a major coup,” manager Steven Hammell told Motherwell’s official website.
“I played alongside Louis and I am fully aware of what he is capable of and what he will bring to this team. I’m excited to see what he has to offer this season.”
Moult has only started 19 games since leaving Motherwell with lengthy lay-offs from knee and ankle injuries disrupting his time at both Preston and Burton.
But there will be less pressure on him to hit the ground running at Motherwell given the form of Kevin van Veen, who has already scored seven goals this season.
The only other Motherwell players to score this season are midfielders Blair Spittal and Callum Slattery with one each and having the option of Moult to provide respite for Van Veen, or even to partner him in a change of formation, will give Hammell real strength in depth.
Speaking before he confirmed his interest in Moult, Hammell said: “We need a goal threat from round about the pitch. We can’t just rely on one player to do that.
“I think we have seen that, we could have scored numerous goals the other night. We are posing threats from throughout the pitch, it’s not just Kevin.
“Yeah, Kev is going to score goals and we appreciate that and he has been excellent for us. But that’s something we have highlighted as a group.
“We need to be supplying him with chances and also chipping in with good numbers from other areas of the pitch as well.”
New signings Matt Penney, Rolando Aarons and Stuart McKinstry all featured in Wednesday’s 4-0 win over Inverness along with 16-year-old debutant Lennon Miller.
And Hammell is happy with the way the transfer window has unfolded since he took permanent charge in mid-August.
“We will slowly integrate the boys that have come in,” he said. “I’m really happy with the boys who have come in. Number one, they want to be here. They are good players, they are good types, they will fit into the group well, and they want to be here, which means a lot to me.
“We saw a little glimpse the other night of what these boys can offer and add to us this season. We are looking forward to seeing more of the new additions plus the improvement we have seen from the players that are here also.”
