Liverpool's £45m signing of Diogo Jota from Wolves this summer initially felt something like the end of an era for Michael Edwards.
The Reds' sporting director had spent the last four years using his knack for finding value in the transfer market to help build a team worthy of Premier League and European glory.
And such was his success, even the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker had ended up resembling bargain buys, their remarkable performances inflating already considerable pricetags.
But then Jota's seemingly hefty fee was revealed in late September, prompting the forming of a consensus that Edwards ' magic was starting to wear off, that clubs had started to become wise to his modus operandi.
Well, for two months at least.
As Jota single-handedly carved out two-goal, first-half lead over Atalanta on Tuesday evening, the powers that be at Wolves will no doubt have been hit by a sinking feeling familiar to those who have recently done business with Liverpool.
And by the time his hat-trick in Bergamo was sealed, that feeling had most probably been replaced by a sense that they had been well and truly ripped off.
Just 10 games into the Portuguese's Anfield career, £45m is already starting to look like a snip. Edwards, it seems, is far from finished yet.
It is worth remembering that the favourable payment terms agreed to by Wolves and Ki-Jana Hoever's move in the opposite direction mean that Liverpool are effectively getting his first 12 months at the club free of charge.
That is the sort of deal typically reserved for the purchase of a new settee, not a potentially world-class footballer.
But in taking his haul to seven goals in just 10 outings for the Reds last night, Jota proved himself to be exactly that.
It is a scoring rate that would see the 23-year-old end the campaign with 34 goals should he match last season's tally of 48 appearances.
And, while that feels unlikely, the best goalscoring return from the start of a Liverpool career since Robbie Fowler – a man better known as 'God' on the red half of Merseyside – is certainly encouraging.
Of course, one man at Anfield has good reason not to quite as enthused as everybody else by Jota's start to life in a red shirt: Roberto Firmino.
Dropped for Tuesday evening's visit to Atalanta, the Brazilian saw his goal tally for the entirety of 2020 surpassed by a player who has been at the club for nine months fewer.
And, though Jurgen Klopp was keen to shut down comparisons between the two in his post-match press conference, he will be well aware that a tough call now awaits over who features alongside Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah against Manchester City this weekend.
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While the Liverpool manager offered no update on Jota's fitness after he was seen limping from the pitch in Italy, it is understood initial assessments showed the problem to be no more than a minor knock.
Consequently, he is expected to train fully in the build-up to Sunday, ensuring Klopp's decision is made all the more tricky.
As the German weighs up the options, you can at least guarantee that he won't allow the excitement that tends to surround new signings to cloud his judgement, even if he didn't find it quite as easy when his latest recruit's brilliant second goal went in on Tuesday.
After Jota produced a marvellous first touch to beat his man before smashing the ball in at the near post for 2-0, Klopp was heard to shout from the sidelines: "What a finish, Diogo!"
And what a start, Jurgen. What a start.
