A report has revealed how Liverpool missed out on all three of their midfield targets as they scrambled to plug the holes left in their squad following the surprise departures of regular starters Fabinho and Jordan Henderson - as Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia both plumped for Premier League rivals Chelsea.
Jurgen Klopp's side had previously tempted Brighton's Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Dzoboszlai from RB Leipzig to Merseyside during the window and were not thought to be keen to add any additional midfielders to their ranks.
But the two high-profile exits - with both players opting for a big-money move to Saudi Arabia - not only left gaps in the Reds' starting XI but boosted their coffers to allow the club to move more freely in the window.