At one point during the January transfer window, it looked almost certain that Leicester midfielder Hamza Choudhury would join Newcastle United on a loan deal.
The Magpies were keen to add extra competition in the middle of the park and Choudhury was keen to get more game-time.
Leicester, too, seemed receptive to his departure - either permanently or on loan - with both Newcastle boss Steve Bruce and Foxes boss addressing Choudhury's future publicly during the final throes of the window.
However, any deal was contingent on Leicester signing a replacement and in the end they couldn't find one.
Choudhury remained and Rodgers seemed happy that was the case. Newcastle, meanwhile, signed Joe Willock on loan from Arsenal and swatted away loan interest from Watford for young midfielder Matty Longstaff.
But how has Choudhury fared since? Has his game-time improved at the King Power Stadium? And what does his future look like in the East Midlands now?
Chronicle Live spoke to Leicestershire Live's Leicester City correspondent Jordan Blackwell to find out.
Why were Leicester willing to let Choudhury go to begin with?
"Simply, he'd not been playing.
"Leicester had Wilfred Ndidi as their first-choice defensive midfielder and Papy Mendy as his back-up, limiting Choudhury's game-time. Because of that lack of football, Choudhury had signalled that he wanted to go out on loan, and Leicester were happy to fulfil his request, albeit they would have perhaps preferred a sale in order to bring in some much-needed income.
"They did want to bring in a replacement first though, but while they had plenty of cover in defensive midfield – Dennis Praet or Daniel Amartey were able to step into the role in an emergency – they needed a forward-thinking option who could play back-up to Youri Tielemans and James Maddison."
And, subsequently, why did they change their mind and decide to keep him?
"With Europa League and FA Cup games on top of the Premier League schedule, Leicester were not willing to leave themselves short of a player, so Choudhury had to stay when none of the lines of enquiry proved fruitful.
"Ambitious moves for Christian Eriksen and Martin Odegaard quickly fell by the wayside, and then late talks over Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Nathaniel Chalobah could not reach a conclusion, ending any chance of Leicester letting Choudhury go."
How has he fared since? Has his game-time improved?
"On deadline day, Brendan Rodgers told Choudhury that if he didn't get his move, he would start the next game. He was true to his word, and Choudhury made just his second Premier League start of the season, playing an hour in a 2-0 win at Fulham. With Ndidi injured, Choudhury kept his place for a goalless draw at Wolves.
"In total, Choudhury has started four of City's 12 games since the January transfer window, most recently at Burnley when his poor pass sold Ndidi short for the Clarets' opener.
"He has also made a further six appearances off the bench, with his energy preferred to Mendy's composure over recent weeks."
What does Choudhury's future look like at Leicester?
"Uncertain. Rodgers has already gone on record in saying he has too many defensive midfielders and wants to redress the balance of his side in the middle of the park. That means Choudhury or Mendy will be leaving this summer.
"While Choudhury has played more recently, there is no doubt Mendy has had the better season, and while the Senegalese international is not as aggressive in his work-rate, he is better on the ball, and that could be the key to seeing him retain his place in the squad as Ndidi's deputy.
"Choudhury may also be easier to sell, given he is younger and he's English, making him more of an asset to other clubs."
