Premier League leaders Manchester City signed AS Roma's Chilean midfielder David Pizarro on Tuesday on loan until the end of the season, manager Roberto Mancini again linking up with the tidy passer.
Pizarro shone on occasions for Mancini's Inter Milan in 2005-06 but after three good seasons at Roma, injury and fallouts with managers started to cut his appearances.
"Pizarro, I know him very well, he is a good player and a good midfielder," Mancini told Sky Sports after the 1-0 league defeat at Everton.
The diminutive 32-year-old will offer competition for places in central midfield as City seek their first top flight crown since 1968.
Yaya Toure is still away at the African Nations Cup, Gareth Barry has been steady if unspectacular while Nigel de Jong and Owen Hargreaves have had few opportunities to impress this term.
In other movements, Bobby Zamora swapped Fulham for West London rivals Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday and will be joined at Loftus Road by French striker Djibril Cisse, who returned to the Premier League on transfer deadline day from Lazio.
England forward Zamora, who media reports said had fallen out with Fulham boss Martin Jol, has been replaced at Craven Cottage by Stuttgart's Russian striker Pavel Pogrebnyak.
The three deals were confirmed by the English clubs on their websites.
Zamora, 31, has signed a 2-1/2 year deal with the promoted club and links up again with QPR's former Fulham boss Mark Hughes after moving for an undisclosed fee.
"Bobby is a guy that makes things happen on the pitch, be it scoring goals or creating chances for others," Hughes said. "He's a great foil for any team."
Ex-Liverpool and Sunderland forward Cisse, 30, has also signed a two-and-a-half year deal at QPR for an undisclosed sum.
"I rate Djibril very, very highly," added Hughes, who has also signed Nigerian left-back Taye Taiwo, England under-21 defender Nedum Onuoha and Mali midfielder Samba Diakite since taking over this month.
"I've watched him for many years and always been impressed by what he brings to the table. He's a huge threat to opposition's defences. He's got great pace, power and movement and that's something we'll hopefully benefit from."
QPR, who returned to the top flight this season after a 15-year absence, are 16th in the 20-team Premier League and two points clear of the relegation zone.
Cisse, who has also played for Auxerre, Marseille and Panathinaikos, is eligible to make his club debut against Aston Villa on Wednesday.
He said former Manchester City manager Hughes had been the key to his move.
"He wanted to sign me at Manchester City and now I am finally here with him at QPR," Cisse said. "He wants to achieve big things here, that was all I needed to hear from him. I have unfinished business here in England."
There was also one change visible during Manchester City's loss to Everton on Tuesday with the inclusion of newly-signed Croatia international striker Nikica Jelavic in the team line-up. The Croatian joined from Scottish champions Rangers on a four-and-a-half year deal for an undisclosed fee on Tuesday.
Media reports estimated the transfer fee to be around eight million pounds.
Jelavic, 26, started his first-team career at Hajduk Split before having spells at Zulte Waregem in Belgium and Rapid Vienna before joining Rangers in 2010.
He scored 36 goals in 55 matches for the Ibrox side.
Jelavic becomes Everton's third signing in the January transfer window after the arrivals of Ireland midfielder Darron Gibson from Manchester United and American midfielder Landon Donovan on loan from LA Galaxy.
