When it emerged back in April that Liverpool were to abandon their long pursuit of Jude Bellingham it was met with understandable anger and frustration.
Given some lean spending summers under Fenway Sports Group in comparison to some of their main rivals, Reds fans had long held on to the notion that the frugal spending was designed to snare a transformational talent that could dominate the Liverpool midfield for a decade.
Bellingham, still only 19, is expected to be a world class operator for years to come, and his advanced development and age, combined with the extensive experience he has obtained in domestic, European and international competitions, saw him tick plenty of boxes for the Reds, in need of invigorating an ageing side.
