Walsall sign Lopata and Loupalo-Bi on loan

Walsall have signed Barnsley defender Kacper Lopata and Fulham forward Aaron Loupalo-Bi on loan deals for the rest of the season.

Polish centre-back Lopata, 24, arrives having spent the first half of the season with the Saddlers' fellow League Two side Bristol Rovers, where he made 14 league appearances.

Loupalo-Bi, 20, has not played for the Cottagers' first team but has scored two goals in nine appearances for their under-21 side in the EFL Trophy, including three this season.

He spent the second half of last season on loan in the National League with Dagenham & Redbridge, where he scored once in 20 matches.

"I'm excited and ready to go," Loupalo-Bi said., external

"The team are going well and pushing for promotion so it's a new challenge for me in that aspect and one that I'm ready to tackle and step up to."

Walsall head coach Mat Sadler said he was "pleased" to have Loupalo-Bi at the club and that Fulham "have trusted us to look after him".

Sadler added: "He's had a fantastic first half of the season, top scorer in Premier League 2 and he's a physical, hard-working centre-forward who likes to stretch but can also link up and bring others into play.

Lopata, who has played for Poland at youth level, began his career with Brighton and has gone on to have other spells with Sheffield United, Port Vale and in the Scottish Premiership with Ross County.

"He's a big, strong, aggressive and mobile defender who has experience in League One with Barnsley and Port Vale as well as League Two," Sadler said.

"He's someone who takes pride in his defending, he's eager to succeed and he brings another layer to our defensive options."

Lopata and Loupalo-Bi bringt Walsall's number of signings in the transfer window to three following the permanent move of attacking midfielder Alex Pattison from Bradford City on 7 January.