Liverpool supporters cannot say they hadn't been warned.
As far back as earlier this year, Jurgen Klopp was stating he didn't expect the Reds to be overly busy in the summer transfer window.
“I don’t think this is a team at the moment where we have to spend the big money or whatever,” he said in March.
“The best way to do it is bring together a group of players, try to develop them altogether and then stay together for a while.”
So when the clock ticked beyond the deadline at 5pm on Thursday with Liverpool having made only minimal incomings, the gnashing of teeth among certain fans was a little self-serving.
Not everyone agreed with Klopp's approach – another forward option would have sated many concerns, so too a versatile left-sided player – but few could have been surprised by the decision to ultimately stick with the tried and tested that won the European Cup and claimed a club-record 97 points.
Liverpool, as any leading club, were constantly scouring the market for the right deals at the right price.
Improving on near-perfection, though, was difficult, unless the Reds were willing to splash out exorbitant amounts on players not guaranteed to improve the first team.
Nicolas Pepe, Timo Werner, Bruno Fernandes, Memphis Depay, Philippe Coutinho. All were heavily linked. All were never, for one reason or another, realistically considered.
Instead, the incomings focused on future-proofing the squad while filling one very obvious hole.
The latter was the signing of former West Ham United goalkeeper Adrian on a free transfer after Club Brugge's offer for Simon Mignolet – which could bring in as much as £8.3million – was deemed too good to turn down, both for the club and the player.
The other new arrivals are both teenagers, 17-year-old Dutch centre-back Sepp van den Berg moving from PEC Zwolle for £1.3million, while 16-year-old Harvey Elliott – who earlier this year became the youngest player to appear in the Premier League – has come from Fulham for a fee that will be determined by a tribunal.
The main business, then, regarded those leaving the club, income far outweighing expenditure after last summer's spend in excess of £170m.
Daniel Sturridge and Alberto Moreno reached the end of their deals, similar to Academy graduates Connor Randall and Conor Masterson and the long-forgotten Adam Bogdan.
Danny Ings, after a season on loan at Southampton, made permanent his potential £20m move to the South Coast, while Rafa Camacho has moved back to Sporting Lisbon for an initial £5m fee.
Arguably the most surprising move was that of 20-year-old defender George Johnston, who left for Feyenoord in a £500,000 deal.
And a deadline-beating switch saw out-of-favour Ovie Ejaria, who hasn't played for Liverpool for more than two-and-a-half years, return to Reading – where he spent part of last season – on a season-long loan with a guarantee of then making a permanent move that could eventual raise £3.5m.
Once again, the loan market has been utilised extensively to bolster opportunities and raise the profile of fringe and young players.
Harry Wilson will spend the season in the Premier League with Bournemouth, while 20-year-old Kamil Grabara is at Championship side Huddersfield Town.
Marko Grujic will spend another year at Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga, Sheyi Ojo is with Steven Gerrard's Rangers and Ben Woodburn has switched to Oxford United in League One.
Liam Millar has returned to Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership after a spell there last season, Taiwo Awoniyi will be at Mainz and is joined in Germany by Nat Phillips, who has sealed a temporary stay at Stuttgart.
Finally, the lesser-spotted Allan has had his loan spell at Fluminese extended until December.
With the loan window open until August 31 to lower league teams and those from overseas, there remains scope for further temporary departures.
Klopp, though, is content with the players he has. As he had intimated long before the transfer window opened, summer would be one of consolidation rather than recruitment. It was always going to be this way.
