At one stage in the summer it looked like things were going awry for Manchester City. Ilkay Gundogan had departed for Barcelona and although Mateo Kovacic was signed to replenish the numbers, City don't see him as a direct replacement and want a further addition in the middle.
They made a move for Declan Rice but walked away when a £95million bid was rejected. Now they're after Lucas Paqueta. An offer too good to refuse came in for Riyad Mahrez but with his exit, Pep Guardiola lost another of his most experienced players, one who has contributed so many goals in six years.
Then it appeared yet another mainstay would be heading for the door as it emerged Kyle Walker was seriously considering his future and open to joining Bayern Munich.
All the while, the pursuit of top target Josko Gvardiol was continuing to drag on. The club remained confident a deal would be done but anxiety began to creep into the fanbase. Also read: Pep Guardiola explains why he shouted at Erling Haaland at half time It's almost as if City's transfer window has reflected Manchester's dismal summer itself.