Ross Barkley's loan move to Aston Villa was completed so swiftly that more than a few eyebrows were raised when the news emerged on Wednesday afternoon.
As recently as late last week, it seemed Barkley was satisfied to stay at Chelsea and compete for scraps of game time in a midfield that is well-staffed to say the least.
But when the 26-year-old was left on the bench by Frank Lampard as Chelsea fell three goals behind at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday night, Barkley changed his mind.
Perhaps it was something about the West Midlands air or a cursory glance at the early Premier League table but Villa, who'd asked about the possibility of taking him on loan earlier in the summer, suddenly seemed the perfect fit.