Gareth Ainsworth admitted his relief at the winter transfer window closing without any more players leaving Wanderers - but said his main shopping begins in earnest now.

The Blues boss saw star performers Josh Scowen and Paris Cowan-Hall, along with former captain Stuart Lewis, leave the club during the January window.

Monday's deadline came and went without any bids being made for his leading lights, such as Matt Ingram, to Ainsworth's obvious relief.

But the loan window opens again on Tuesday, and Ainsworth said it's this that will be of greater importance to him.

He said: "The January transfer window, for me, is a big publicity thing. It's mainly about the Premier League and the Championship, because the loan window opens back up ten days later. There's only ten days where you can't bring anyone in.

"The big day for us, and most lower league clubs, is the last Thursday in March when the loan window closes and there's no transfer activity allowed until the end of the season.

"If I'm looking at the big picture and looking realistically, the transfer window for Wycombe Wanderers closes at the end of March, not the end of January or the end of August. The big thing is having the right squad to take us through to the last game of the season.

"I remember last season having to get an emergency centre half in called Danny Rowe, and Aaron Pierre a couple of weeks before. Players like that will be important, if we need them.

"It's very necessary for Wycombe Wanderers. Defenders especially are very slim on the ground. As and if we lose anyone, then we will have to move."

Ainsworth brought Marcus Bean and Courtney Senior to the club during the January window and extended the short-term deals of Rowe, Aaron Holloway, Alfie Mawson and Fred Onyedinma.

He added he had a wish list of other players he was keeping tabs on, but was unable to translate his interest into a firm bid.

The Blues boss didn't name names but said some of his targets ended up making a January move to a club higher up the pyramid than Wanderers.

Ainsworth said: "I wasn't chasing anyone on deadline day. There was no disappointment, it was more interest to see which clubs were taking which players.

"One or two have gone. There's no missing out, there were no real offers going in.

"I had names that I was interested to see where those names ended up, to see if other people rate them like I do.

"The players me and my team have spotted, it was interesting to see which clubs took them and where they've gone. It backs up whether we've got good eyes or not - if nobody mentions your players, then you start worrying you've not got as good an eye as you think.

"Many of the players we highlighted went to League One clubs and the Championship."

He added: "I'm obviously relieved nobody went out. There was a lot of talk about Matt Ingram, and the way Aaron Pierre's been playing and a couple of the other youngsters, it's been a worrying time.

"We never had intentions of selling Matt Ingram - he's never been up for sale. All the players, if big clubs come in and bid hundreds of thousands and millions of pounds, every club in the country would consider them, but we are not actively trying to sell any of our players.

"It's a running battle and I'm pleased Matt's still a Wycombe Wanderers player for the foreseeable future."