Manchester United rolled out the red carpet for Jude Bellingham in 2020 as they courted the then 16-year-old Birmingham City prospect.
Fast-forward three years and the midfielder is among the best in Europe and hitting so many heights at Real Madrid that it's impossible to see how bright his future star might burn.
United, meanwhile, are scratching around for a midfield combination that can help turn their season around. And what's worse than seeing a player Erik ten Hag once privately described as the one person he would sign in world football if he could have first dibs living up to his reputation, is the self-inflicted role United played in the England sensation moving to Spain. ALSO READ: United are morphing into their Moyes tweet ALSO READ: United's dismal season has highlighted six transfer necessities The world's best often end up at Real, but United's trials and tribulations over the past decade effectively meant they were never in the running to bring Bellingham to Old Trafford this summer.
On top of that, a large slice of their misguided transfer spend more than covered the fee Madrid shelled out. At £88million, Bellingham is proving something of a bargain.
Read more on manchestereveningnews.co.uk