It wasn't the January many had anticipated for Liverpool.
Both on and off the field.
When Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita departed for the Africa Cup of Nations after the 2-2 draw at Chelsea at the start of the month, there were those who thought they took with them hopes of domestic success.
In their absence, though, Liverpool have won through to the Carabao Cup final, progressed in the FA Cup and narrowed the chasm to Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.
DONE DEAL: Nat Phillips seals Liverpool exit as loan fee and new club confirmed
READ MORE: Liverpool move for Fabio Carvalho collapses but new transfer plan emerges
DONE DEAL: Liverpool agree late deal with Fulham over Neco Williams loan transfer
Despite having long known he would be without Salah and Mane for much of January, Jurgen Klopp resisted the urge to move in the transfer market for cover.
The Reds boss even stuck to his guns despite being without Divock Origi throughout the entire period due to injury, while also being unable to call on midfielders Thiago Alcantara and Harvey Elliott.
A quiet transfer window, then, was expected.
And so it proved until the middle of last week when it emerged Tottenham Hotspur had opened talks with Porto over a potential move for winger Luis Diaz.
The Colombia international was already on Liverpool's radar, with the club contemplating a summer move for a player they had identified as helping continue the evolution of the front three that began with the signing of Diogo Jota less than 18 months ago.
Tottenham's move, along with interest from Manchester United, prompted Liverpool to act, Diaz having been identified by Kiko Espinar - who heads up the Reds' scouting in the regions of Spain and Portugal - and reassured of the Anfield vision by his agents Carlos Strahalen and Raul Pais Da Costa.
So, barely 48 hours after confirmation the Reds were in for the 25-year-old, he had passed a medical with Liverpool staff in Argentina and was proudly unveiled in a deal that could cost up to £49million.
Nobody had seen it coming at the start of the window. Not even Julian Ward, the sporting director-in-waiting who led the negotiations with assistance from the incumbent Michael Edwards.
The month had begun with a flurry of movement at Academy level.
Morgan Boyes and Tony Gallacher both left for Scotland to Livingston and St Johnstone respectively, while Leighton Clarkson and Rhys Williams were recalled from loan spells at Championship clubs Blackburn Rovers and Swansea City.
Goalkeeper Liam Hughes was sent on loan to Northern Premier League Premier Division side Stalybridge Celtic for the rest of the season while fellow shot-stopper Vitezslav Jaros will do likewise at National League side Notts County.
The last week, though, has seen a greater concentration on business among the first-team squad.
Nat Phillips was wanted by Newcastle United, Watford and Leicester City, but none of that trio could either pay the asking price for a permanent deal or offer sufficient first-team guarantees regards a loan move.
Phillips will instead be at promotion-chasing Championship side Bournemouth for the remainder of the season, the deal agreed on Monday with the player undergoing a medical at lunchtime.
The Cherries have paid a loan fee of £1.5m with an additional £250,000 if they go up to the Premier League. Burnley, though, are expected to make an offer of a permanent deal for Phillips in the summer should, as is anticipated, James Tarkowski departs Turf Moor on a free.
Bournemouth had been one of several clubs courting Neco Williams, who Liverpool were initially willing to leave permanently before being open to a temporary departure. Championship leaders Fulham snapped up the Wales international on loan as the clock ticked towards deadline.
Takumi Minamino was interesting Monaco and in particular Leeds United only to opt to complete the season at Anfield in the hope that, with Liverpool fighting on all four fronts, game time will become available.
And Divock Origi will also play out in its entirety what is almost certain to be his last season with the Reds. The Belgian is out of contract in the summer and, while Liverpool have an option to automatically trigger an extra year depending on games played, that Origi has yet to start a Premier League game this term makes such an extension unlikely.
Which left the pursuit of Fabio Carvalho.
Liverpool's long-time interest in the 19-year-old Fulham attacking midfielder - who is out of contract in the summer - was confirmed on Sunday, with the Reds hoping to snap up the player before loaning him back to the Championship leaders.
The desire to get the deal done this month - Liverpool were happy to hand over a fee and loan the player back to Craven Cottage for the remainder of the campaign - was borne out of two reasons.
As a free agent in the summer, Carvalho was able to talk to clubs from abroad about a pre-contract agreement that would see Fulham due only a fixed training compensation fee later down the line.
And should he have moved to Anfield in the summer, there was a danger Liverpool and Fulham would have to go to a tribunal if no fee was agreed, a route fraught with potential issues despite the Reds evidently having the better when asked to pay a maximum of £4.3m for Harvey Elliott when taking him from the Londoners in a similar situation three years ago.
They were, however, beaten by the 11pm deadline, unable to finalise the necessary paperwork in time. The Reds will try again in the summer.
It was a frantic end to a month few had seen coming. The Anfield evolution continues under Klopp.
