Liverpool were not expecting Harvey Elliott to leave on loan this summer, with Jurgen Klopp happy to keep the young winger around at senior level with the Reds.
All throughout the transfer window, links were made to other players departing, be it on a permanent deal or a temporary basis, but Elliott was never one of them.
Elliott has played nine times at senior level for the club he grew up supporting, but with Diogo Jota brought into Anfield and Xherdan Shaqiri ending up staying put, the chances of that increasing significantly this season suddenly looked slimmer.
Tony Mowbray and Blackburn saw an opportunity and made an approach.
Rovers, who have made it crystal clear that their aim this season is to get back into the Premier League, play a similar style of football to Liverpool, and it was obvious that game time would come, as has proven to be the case.
Listen to the full Harvey Elliott podcast from Blood Red by clicking HERE
So far, the decision to let Elliott go out and play in the second tier has paid off, with regular minutes and impressive performances coming thick and fast.
BBC Radio Lancashire pundit Kevin Gallacher, who won the Premier League title under Sir Kenny Dalglish in 1995 while at Blackburn, has watched Elliott closely in his current media role.
On a special Blood Red podcast exploring Harvey Elliott's time out on loan to date, he said: "Harvey is a young lad and he has come into the Championship and set out his stall. You can see that he has been training with Liverpool.
"He plays on the right-hand side of a front three for Blackburn, which suits him, because that is what he wants to do.
"For me, he is mimicking Mohamed Salah and the way that he plays has been fantastic. He has been a breath of fresh air.
"You have to work hard, you have to tackle, you have to take elbows in the back of the head. It is different from the Premier League but the style that Blackburn play is very similar to Liverpool.
"When he cuts in, he can see the simple pass, or he can also play risk passes, which I like about him. He is also not scared to track back and do the ugly stuff, helping out defensively.
"Blackburn were really lucky to get him in because he is a quality young player and it is hard to believe he is only 17. Sometimes he is naive in certain aspects but the qualities he has are phenomenal."
That maturity for a player not 18 until next April is certainly something that has stood out in Elliott's performances so far.
The next challenge for him to prove that he can continue to impress and play at his current level - or higher - for the entirety of a grueling Championship campaign.
Gallacher added: "He still has a lot to learn and a lot to do but five or six games in, people suss you out quickly. Teams have watched him now and know what he is like.
"We are only getting glimpses at the minute but the more he knows the players, we will see him get strong and relax a lot more.
"He is studying the game really well and taking it to the next level. It’s just about being consistent because he has been flying."
The talent of Elliott was clear - that was why Liverpool were so delighted when they were able to get a deal to sign him from Fulham over the line in July 2019.
Real Madrid, PSG, Arsenal and Manchester City were also desperately keen, but after a promising start to the season in the Championship at such a tender age, the signs are there that Liverpool were right to fight so hard for his signature.
