Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson was adamant he would develop their own young players rather than other clubs' after rejecting "hundreds" of loan offers.
Robinson missed out on a midfield target after Gael Bigirimana left for Hibernian late in the transfer window but refused to sign someone else just for the sake of it.
Instead, more young players will get the chance to follow in the footsteps of Chris Cadden, Allan Campbell and David Turnbull and establish themselves in the Fir Park first team.
Ahead of Saturday's Ladbrokes Premiership visit of Livingston, Robinson told Press Association Sport: "We wanted to sign one player that didn't quite come off.
"Unfortunately we are a club that has to sell players before we bring them in. We had to wait for the Bigi deal to go through before we went for somebody else and there are other clubs interested in good players, and we lose out.
"We made a real stance that we would only sign players we knew would make the team better.
"I have a real belief in the young players I have got at this football club and unless they are better than what we've got then there's no point in signing them. It just clogs up the squad.
"I'm not developing other people's young players. I got offered hundreds of under-23 players, I got offered players in Scotland, but my stance is I'm developing Motherwell players for Motherwell – to progress in the first team and for us financially as well.
"I will be brave enough to do that and they will be put in. I didn't get offered anything that I felt would make the squad stronger bar the midfielder we missed out on."
Robinson signed Ross McCormack and Gboly Ariyibi early in the window and Jake Hastie returned from a loan spell at Alloa to make his mark in the first team.
But there could be more openings for young players after Bigirimana followed Andy Rose, Ryan Bowman and Aaron Taylor-Sinclair in departing.
"We've got hungry young boys here," Robinson said. "We have a couple more that I think can go in before the end of the season and we have a couple more need a wee boot in the backside to make sure they take the game seriously because they have got talent.
"For me, James Scott is a huge prospect. He has only just turned 18 so he is very young, but super, super attributes. He reminds me a wee bit of Lee Erwin when he burst on to the scene with his talent and two great feet. So he is one if he stays grounded and keeps working hard, he will get his opportunities.
"People know about Stuart McKinstry who is very young and there are a couple more who I won't mention who just need to push themselves a little bit more so their talent shines through."
Bigirimana joins a team who sit two places above Motherwell in the table but Robinson had no qualms about the transfer.
"You've got to be fair to people," he said. "Bigi is a super, super boy, one of the nicest kids I have ever worked with. He has talent and wasn't in our team as much as he wanted to be.
"So when a team like Hibs comes in you have got to be fair to the boy. He indicated he wanted to go to Hibs and I won't stand in his way. He goes with our best wishes."
