Preston North End had a fairly subdued January transfer window, with new boss Ryan Lowe preparing to only make signings if necessary for the long-term success of the side and instead focusing on outgoings.

It meant that only two players came through the door at Deepdale, with striker Cameron Archer joining on loan from Aston Villa and Bambo Diaby joining the club on a free after a trial period.

The future of the latter of the two had been uncertain, with the player having only just returned from a ban. He was brought in to train with the Lilywhites but there has been a lot of anticipation and waiting around to see whether or not he would be offered terms by PNE.

On deadline day though, it was finally revealed that Diaby would stay with Preston until at least the end of the season - and he can now be utilised in the Championship for them in the second half of the campaign. But was it the right call by Ryan Lowe and what can he bring to the table at Deepdale?

Is it a good move?

It actually looks like quite a shrewd bit of business by Preston.

Considering there isn't a lot of space currently at the club, with the side having easily filled its 25-man quota, there was work that needed to be done in terms of bringing him in and it also meant he would have to really impress to warrant a spot in the team.

He must have done though to be offered a contract and with Jordan Storey heading to Sheffield Wednesday to make way for him, there is certainly room for him to get minutes at Deepdale.

The side are short of some solid options at centre-back, with not a lot of depth beyond their current starters. If any of Sepp van den Berg (who is on loan too), Patrick Bauer or Andrew Hughes is injured, then there is nobody to really step in. With Storey gone, the only option would be to shoehorn in someone like Alan Browne or try and bring Paul Huntington into the squad when he isn't currently registered.

Add in the fact that Hughes' main position is also a left-back and you can see the real need for defensive options - and Diaby provides a decent one on a cut-price deal.

Will he start?

While he might not start at first, he could certainly grow into a regular starting berth if he impresses and is given the chance.

Right now, despite some errors, the backline is pretty much settled for North End. If everyone is fit and firing, you would expect the three main central defenders to be van den Berg, Bauer and Hughes. However, the issues Preston have had is when dealing with injuries and suspension. It has led to Jordan Storey needing to come in, who has since departed, and Greg Cunningham having to feature in the centre.

The former Bluebird has struggled when needing to fill in centrally and is much more efficient on the left. It means that while Diaby might not feature from the off, he is at least there if PNE need him for now. Upon any suspension or injury issues though - or merely if needed in rotation - the defender looks like he can step in and a do a good job.

What does he offer?

Diaby certainly looks like he can offer plenty at the back for PNE, with his time at Barnsley showing just what he is capable of in the Championship.

He averaged nearly two tackles per game (1.6) and 1.4 interceptions to boot, showing he is not afraid to get involved in the play, stick a foot in and break up opposition attacks. His contributions mainly seem to come defensively and he looks like he could be a brick wall in the Preston backline based on his previous showings, but he did score once during his time at Oakwell.

In terms of his ability to play out from the back, he also looks fairly decent in that area too. With a pass success rate of 71.3%, he certainly looks adept with the ball at his feet if needed.

Overall then, it looks like while he might not be a ball-playing centre-back in the same vein as someone like Ben Davies previously for Preston (although he could grow into that), he can do what he needs to with the ball at his feet and can be an extremely good option for the club. All signs are promising with Diaby, as he looks like a no-nonsense defender with the ability to get stuck in, deny the opponent and become a real fan favourite at Deepdale.