The Manchester United defender Jonny Evans has joined Sunderland on loan until the end of the season.

The Northern Ireland international, who spent the second half of last season on loan with the Black Cats, helping the club to promotion, has struggled for first-team opportunities at Old Trafford and the Sunderland manager Roy Keane will hope his signature can help bolster a side that has won only twice since mid-September and languishes in the relegation zone.

Evans, who was released on bail last month after being questioned by police investigating an allegation of rape at Manchester United's Christmas party, goes straight into the Sunderland squad for tomorrow's FA Cup third-round tie against Wigan at the Stadium of Light.

The Derby manager, Paul Jewell, has also begun his moves to strengthen his leaky defence with the signing of Danny Mills from Manchester City. The 30-year-old full-back has signed for the Rams on loan for the remainder of the season. Jewell is also about to improve his attacking options, with the club putting the finishing touches to a £2m deal for the Argentinian striker Emanuel Villa.

QPR have continued their January spending spree with the signing of the Wigan defender Fitz Hall for an undisclosed fee.

Hall, 27, has signed a 4½-year deal and becomes the seventh player to join the Championship club this month, following Patrick Agyemang, Akos Buzsaky, Matthew Connolly, Hogan Ephraim, Kieran Lee and Gavin Mahon to Loftus Road.

Elsewhere in the Championship, Burnley have signed Sunderland's Slovakia international Stanislav Varga on a one-month loan deal, Norwich have re-signed the Derby defender Mo Camara on loan until the end of the season and West Brom have completed the signing of Sherjill MacDonald in a £200,000 deal from the Dutch side AGOVV Apeldoorn.