Newcastle United's owners, recruitment team and coaching staff have spent countless hours on the Diego Carlos and Sven Botman deals.
Whether it is negotiating with their respective clubs and agents, collating data or speaking to figures who had worked with the pair to find out more about their character, Newcastle have left no stone unturned.
However, despite these efforts, Newcastle have encountered serious issues. Both Botman and Carlos have wanted to come, but Lille and Sevilla, understandably, are not in a rush to sell or have bumped the price up depending on who you speak to. Perhaps even both.
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Eddie Howe, himself, said that Newcastle would be prepared to 'draw a line in certain situations' and say 'no, we're not going to pay that money' and that stance has not changed.
Newcastle have already walked away from the Botman deal and, when it comes to Carlos, the owners are wary of setting a precedent by dramatically overpaying for the Brazilian, which could then have a knock-on effect in the summer.
Not only would clubs be able to point to inflated fees Newcastle previously paid when the Magpies enquire about their players; paying such amounts would potentially restrict the amount of business Howe will be able to do because of Financial Fair Play.
Amanda Staveley, herself, said that January was a window the hierarchy 'would not ordinarily invest in' because you 'probably don't get the right deals'.
Instead, Staveley admitted that 'the best window is always the summer' and if Newcastle are to overhaul their squad, as expected, this year, that will be the time to do it.
Not only will clubs be a little more open to selling players, because there will be more time to sign replacements, but Newcastle will have also appointed a chief executive and a sporting director by then, whose nous and experience will only help the black-and-whites navigate another intense trading period.
The timing of the takeover in October surprised the owners, of course, who have effectively had to do everything backwards after appointing a head coach first.
However, as difficult as this month was always going to be, you do feel having heavyweight football expertise at the top would only have helped.
Bringing in at least one quality centre-back was Newcastle's priority at the start of the month and, with six days to go until the window shuts, remarkably, that remains the case.
Newcastle's owners will be ultimately judged when the dust settles on their first window in charge but signing a top defender, or not, could be the difference between staying up and going down this season.
Newcastle, after all, have only won two games all season and dropped 21 points from winning positions because of their inability to defend leads. The Magpies have also kept just two clean sheets. Only Norwich City have conceded more goals in the Premier League.
Yes, Fabian Schar's return to form against Leeds was welcome on Saturday - the centre-back made seven recoveries and nine clearances and also won five duels - but that imperious display should not disguise the fact that Newcastle have been leaky at the back for some time now.
Therefore, it has not been a surprise that Newcastle have been looking at a huge list of defenders across the world, beyond just Carlos and Botman, but there are no guarantees with alternative targets in January, either.
If signing a centre-back in the first 25 days of January was tough, well, it won't necessarily get easier in the final days of the window.
As much as clubs may blink - viewing it as a potential opportunity to cash in - they will also see Newcastle coming and will, naturally, look to get the best possible fee.
Newcastle, therefore, have a delicate balance to strike between securing an available centre-back who can actually improve the side but, also, in the words of Howe, not dipping 'below the line', which would leave the Magpies in 'a worse position'.
The clock is ticking.
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