I quite like the two loan moves so far, sensible additions to the squad. However, as others have pointed out, hopefully this precedes a big move for a striker who can do the Hirst role and chip in with several goals.
Sarmiento is rated quite highly at Brighton - who are a club that certainly knows how to recruit an uncut diamond! Hopefully he provides competition in the wide areas and in the number 10 attacking midfield positions. Players like Broadhead, who have been out of form lately, certainly need the competition for a first team spot. West Brom didn't start Sarmiento frequently towards the end of the year, looks like he ended up being their Hutchinson impact sub type player.
The Travis loan - if we get it over the line - is another low-risk, potentially high reward move. He'll provide cover for when Morsy is suspended, adds further competition in central midfield, and is able to cover for the full-back positions where we do lack depth. Travis hasn't played much this season, but he has been regarded as a good player at Blackburn in previous years. He signed a four-year deal last March and was made their club captain in the summer. So, bringing in someone with his leadership, experience, and versatility makes sense - even if it isn't the most glamorous of signings. I trust in McKenna and the recruitment team on this one - remember that Luongo was an out of favour midfielder when we initially signed him on loan from Middlesbrough and he turned out alright!
I'm glad we're getting business resolved early - like we have been doing in recent windows. Gives us a chance to see these players in the FA Cup on the weekend and gets a full week of training under their belts before the league fixtures recommences. I'm certain we'll be spending money on at least one centre-forward, but good strikers aren't cheap and we'll no doubt have to pay a bit more as selling clubs know we need a striker.