The full-time whistle at Villa Park was the catalyst for an emotional, tear-stained moment that all but confirmed Alexis Mac Allister's next move as a Brighton player.
As the World Cup-winning midfielder ended his historic campaign, having already inspired the Seagulls to European qualification for the first time, Mac Allister couldn't help but be moved by the scale of it all before he was hugged on the pitch by his manager Roberto De Zerbi following a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa.
The impressive Italian coach seemed keen to make it known how important Mac Allister had been to their sixth-place Premier League finish as he embraced the Argentina international with an arm around the shoulder before using his other hand to ask the visiting fans to show their appreciation for one of their players of a ground-breaking campaign at the Amex Stadium.
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The post-match message was already clear but De Zerbi's subsequent end-of-season admission left no room for ambiguity as far as the Liverpool transfer target's future went.
"I think that can be the last game of Alexis and Moises (Caicedo), I'm really sorry," said De Zerbi. "They are two great people and two great players. The policy of Brighton is like this. I think it's right they can leave, can change teams and play in a level higher. We are ready. We have to find other big players to play without Alexis and Moises.
“If you ask me about Caicedo and Mac Allister, I love them and they are two big, big players and can play in a big European team. They can play in every competition. I hope for them they can play [for the] best team in the world, because we’ll be the first big fan of them.”
The honesty from the Italian was refreshing given the subterfuge, riddles and confusion that more often not accompanies transfer dealings at the top level and the comments will be very welcome at Anfield as they plot their much-anticipated midfield rebuild this summer.
Brighton - and specifically their owner Tony Bloom and CEO Paul Barber - have become known as some of the toughest and most astute negotiators around when it comes to player trading. In recent years, the south-coast side have offloaded players like Yves Bissouma, Leandro Trossard, Marc Cucurella and Ben White for vast profits while still improving the squad and edging their way up the division.
The Seagulls may very well be forging a reputation as a 'selling club' but Arsenal and Chelsea both found out how difficult it can be prise an asset out of the Amex as recently as January when the wantaway Caicedo - whose efforts to leave even went as far as a personal statement on social media - ended up signing a new contract to preserve his value for later down the line.
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So De Zerbi's openness that Mac Allister's time with Brighton is all but over will be viewed as a hugely positive development for Jurgen Klopp and co as Liverpool continue to make in-roads on their primary transfer target.
Mac Allister himself was careful not to give anything away about his future in an emotional social media post of his own this week but the message to Brighton's supporters has of course led to much reading between the lines.
"It was an honour to represent Brighton & Hove Albion FC," wrote Mac Allister this week. "But to become the first ever World Cup winner for this club it will be unforgettable (hopefully you will have more as it will be welcome after it).
"Three and a half years ago we were fighting [to avoid] relegation and today, after so much sacrifice, suffering and work, this group will be in the history of this club by becoming the first that will play in Europe. We achieved it all together and that's why we have to feel proud."
If that end-of-season statement sidestepped any mention of moving on, Mac Allister was slightly more forthcoming in a recent chat with Miami-based Argentine news outlet Infobae.
In a question that was specific to being "one step away" from joining Liverpool and working under Klopp, Mac Allister, who was speaking from a condo in Miami's Edgewater district where is enjoying some time off ahead of Argentina's friendlies with Australia and Indonesia later this month, was seemingly relaxed about the situation he currently finds himself him. He did, however, concede that he wants his "next club" to be in the Premier League.
"I am very calm because I also have the possibility of being in a club like Brighton that accompanied me at all times and in which I enjoy being very much," he said. "If I do not have to leave the club I will continue to be very happy there, but I am aware that there will be possibilities and if a good offer arrives for the club and for me we will evaluate it.
"I have no doubt that today [the Premier League] is the best league to play in and that is why I am aware that I would like my next club to be in the Premier League, I really enjoy being there and the truth is that people have always treated me 10 in the country and that for me is very important."
Anfield sources have given no indication that a transfer is close to completion but the belief is that the deal is progressing well behind the scenes. Manchester City had been linked last month to help cover the potential departures of Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gunodan but their recent reported interest in Chelsea's Mateo Kovacic is perhaps an indirect admission that it is Liverpool who are now way out in front in the race for Mac Allister's signature.
The Reds, of course, will be mindful of not upsetting Brighton publicly as the talks behind the scenes progress further. Liverpool have prided themselves in maintaining good working relationships with key figures at other clubs in recent years from Southampton and Fulham - where relationships were steadily rebuilt - to Wolves through to Benfica in Portugal, who could yet be the recipient of the biggest sum ever paid out at Anfield.
For example, a deal worth up to a potential £85m for Darwin Nunez 12 months ago was decisively thrashed out in amicable fashion when sporting director Julian Ward flew to Lisbon to conclude proceedings with his Benfica counterpart, Rui Costa. In contrast, the Portuguese club were incensed with how Chelsea handled their pursuit of Enzo Fernandez just a few months later prior to the British-record £107m deal.
"What the club is doing who wants Enzo, it's disrespectful against all of us, against Benfica and I cannot accept what they are doing," said Benfica boss Roger Schmidt in January. It's clearly an aspect of transfer dealings that Liverpool care deeply about and why fans will likely be forced to bide their time before anything official surfaces.
But just what will Mac Allister bring to Liverpool should he eventually complete a move from Brighton? His 12 strikes last season saw him finish as the Seagulls' top scorer and goals from midfield is very much a commodity that Klopp has lacked, certainly last season when his highest-scoring player in that area was Harvey Elliott with five. Only one those came in the Premier League.
Midfielders are not necessarily in a Klopp team to provide goals and the five-man frontline will be capable of shouldering that burden between them next season but a player who is able to add to the tally will be a welcome bonus.
Perhaps Mac Allister's brilliance is that he doesn't excel at one specific aspect as a midfielder but is more rounded and accomplished in all areas of the engine room. He is a performer who is as adept as a tireless box-to-box operator as he is as a creative playmaker in the No.10 role.
Klopp admitted last week that he was keen to conclude Liverpool's transfer business within "six or seven weeks" as he goes about plotting a return to the Champions League next season. Mac Allister, though, appears to be very much top of the to-do list and work is already well underway.
