Liverpool's new left-back addition Kostas Tsimikas was one of four options that the Reds would have been happy to pursue as they sought specialist cover for first-choice Andy Robertson.
In the past, James Milner and Neco Williams have had to move into the position when Robertson has been absent - albeit those occasions have been few and far between with the Scot playing 49 times in 2019/20 - but that will no longer be necessary.
The deal that brought Tsimikas to Anfield from Olympiacos, though, was also the latest example of how much Liverpool's recruitment policy has improved during the time that Fenway Sports Group have owned the club.
On the Morning Bulletin podcast, Matt Addison said: "In the past, like when Liverpool went all-out for Yevhen Konoplyanka, who was at Dnipro at the time, they ended up not getting him because they left it too late. They ended up with no one.
"These days, Liverpool have options. In this case, there were four with Sergio Reguilon, who had been on loan at Sevilla and had impressed Liverpool a lot last season, and Lloyd Kelly as well.
"Lewis was ‘number one’ choice, if you like, but when that didn’t happen they quickly went for Tsimikas. It could have been any one of those four players and hopefully Liverpool have ended up with the right one. Liverpool certainly have got themselves an excellent left-back."
The moves for Lewis and then Tsimikas also came early in the window, giving plenty of time to move for alternatives, though Liverpool did not mess around before getting one over the line.
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In contrast, their offer for Konoplyanka in January 2014 came on deadline day, and there were no other players that had been identified at that time.
That scattergun and haphazard approach in the transfer market seems an age ago even just six years on.
Konoplyanka, the then-24-year-old winger, had passed a medical and agreed personal terms with Liverpool, but the paperwork was not signed off before the 11pm deadline.
Konoplyanka's club did let him leave later down the line, and he now plays for Shakhtar Donetsk in his homeland, but at that moment, they were unprepared to let him depart and so he refused to let the deal get done.
Liverpool were left frustrated, had identified no other targets, and made their move so late in the window that nothing could be done. Brendan Rodgers publicly stated at the time that he felt his squad at the time was good enough to compete.
That proved to be the case, as his team very nearly won the Premier League. No one will ever know had they got the deal done what might have happened in that title race with Manchester City.
Nowadays, Liverpool are not made to wonder 'what if?'. Their first signing of the summer as champions has been done.
Tsimikas will take the number 21 shirt at Liverpool and could make his Reds debut in the Community Shield against Arsenal on August 29, before the new Premier League campaign kicks off two weeks later, on September 12.
