Everton had long since hatched a succession plan that would involve Vitalii Mykolenko replacing Lucas Digne.
One day. When the moment was right to cash in on the club's best left-back. But less than a year after he'd signed a new long-term contract? Surely not?
But in keeping with the pace and scale of change seen at Everton in recent years, Digne has gone from in the team, to signing for another, in no time at all.
As he said last night: "Everything must come to an end. I just did not expect it to end this way." Or, more to the point, this soon.
The relationship between Digne and Rafa Benitez, one that was quickly seen as uneasy and simmering behind the scenes, would boil over in December and set about a series of events that have led to the arrival of Mykolenko and the sale of the man signed from Barcelona.
Digne was dropped from the squad against Arsenal, and thirty-eight days later was sold.
DIGNE STATEMENT: Lucas Digne breaks silence on Everton exit as 'love affair destroyed'
TRANSFER LATEST: Anwar El Ghazi has already shown Everton fans what to expect
The speed from which the left-back went from regular starter under Benitez, to out of the door and to another club, has been remarkable. Even by Everton's standards of late.
Even though the decision to axe him from the squad, instantly plunged his Goodison future into doubt, insiders were still thinking January could be too soon for a departure.
It wasn't. The window is less than two weeks old and Digne has gone.
Mykolenko was signed on January 1 and, this morning, Digne completed a £25m move to Aston Villa.
Newcastle United wanted Digne too, but he was not keen on the idea, we're told. Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and a host of others enquired but the response from Everton was clear: Digne is only available for sale.
At one stage, it threatened to be a stumbling block but Villa emerged as a club prepared to buy the defender in this window.
In little over a month, Digne went from starting in the most important game of (any) season, at home to Liverpool, to leaving the club.
Gone. Almost in the blink of an eye.
Everton will net themselves a decent profit from the France international's sale and the wages of Mykolenko, and fellow January addition Nathan Patterson, combined are less than what Digne was earning at Goodison.
*Take part in our Lucas Digne survey:
In terms of the accounts, and the club's battle with financial fair play regulations, it's a move that works.
Whether Everton are better off without Digne on the pitch remains to be seen but Benitez would argue that the decisions he makes are about the team, not the individual. And that this one is no different.
Digne's transfer also brings an end to what was a distraction.
The reality of football means that Evertonians will watch Digne's progress closely with Villa (and especially so at Goodison on January 22 for that matter!) and Benitez will have to field questions about it tomorrow, but an unsavoury and divisive issue can, theoretically, be put behind the club.
Theoretically.
Agree with the decision to sell Digne or not, Mykolenko has sizable shoes to fill and though Benitez has, understandably, tried to avoid putting too much pressure on the 22-year-old, he needs him to get up to speed quickly.
A first Premier League start awaits in a hugely important game at Norwich City this weekend. Had Digne still been at the club, it's likely he would not have even made the squad.
Which is remarkable to think given it was only in February of last year that Digne signed a new contract, that was designed to keep him tied to the club until June 2025. Or until the club were ready to sell.
"When you sign for Everton, it is like an amazing wedding," he said at the time.
The divorce has been bitter, for sure.
One mired in thinly veiled messages from the manager, cryptic social media posts from the player and all wrapped up in talk of personal stats and the questioning of his attitude.
Last night, the full-back posted a lengthy message on his instagram page but didn't mention Bentiez by name once, instead only alluding to "one person from outside".
Selling Digne, at some point, was always part of the club's long-term thinking but best laid plans....sometimes have to be accelerated.
