Erling Haaland to Napoli was effectively a done deal. Before the opening of the 2020 January transfer window, the Partenopei had agreed to pay the €25 million (£22m/$27m) buy-out clause in his Red Bull Salzburg contract.
Haaland, though, opted to join Borussia Dortmund instead, though, leaving Napoli sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli crestfallen. He called it his "biggest regret" in the transfer market, which is understandable, given it was obvious even then that Haaland was a generational talent born to score goals.
However, Giuntoli did not allow himself to get disheartened. He had done his homework. He already had an alternative target lined up, one he was adamant was "on the same level" as the Norwegian striker.
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His name was Victor Osimhen and Giuntoli was in no doubt that the Nigerian striker was also destined to define an era.
So much so, in fact, that he convinced his notoriously parsimonious president Aurelio De Laurentiis to splash a club-record €70m (£61m/$73m) on Osimhen just six months later, stunning Serie A.