Last summer, Liverpool pinpointed Aurelien Tchouameni as the player to accelerate the evolution of their midfield. But when the Frenchman instead opted to join Real Madrid, the Reds chose not to look elsewhere - it was either the right signing or none.
This summer, Liverpool pinpointed Jude Bellingham as the player to accelerate the evolution of their midfield. Now, though, the Reds have chosen to step away from the pursuit - instead of the right signing, they intend to make several others.
Matters, of course, are rarely quite so black and white. But the reversal of approach taken by Jurgen Klopp and the Liverpool recruitment team will not have passed unnoticed by supporters furiously debating the decision to essentially give up on any attempt to prise Bellingham away from Borussia Dortmund in the forthcoming transfer window.
