Derby County would have been left a little frustrated about their transfer window business in the immediate aftermath of Deadline Day finishing, unable to add in a new striker to their ranks after being linked with Sheffield Wednesday duo Michael Smith and Lee Gregory in recent weeks.
Another source of concern for Rams supporters would have been the last-gasp development that Max Bird was departing the club, with those anxieties somewhat lessened when the Bristol City announcement read that their star man was returning to Pride Park on loan until the end of the campaign.
Paul Warne's men did swoop in to sign Ebou Adams on loan to bolster their midfield options in-case a deal for Bird to depart was a permanent one, but looking more long-term when Bird has left for good, Derby could well have struck gold signing this other midfield target.
When Derby wanted to sign Charlie Savage
Right at the very start of the window, the Daily Mail reported on the possibility of the Rams raiding Reading for their young midfield talent in Charlie Savage.
The League One promotion hopefuls could well have swooped in and landed the former Manchester United youngster for a cut-price, owing to Reading's ongoing turbulence behind the scenes seeing them offload their top players for cheap.
Starring for the Royals in patches this campaign, despite the constant uncertainty looming over proceedings in Berkshire, Derby might live to regret not attempting to sign the former Red Devils sensation as a long-term option to rely on after Bird has gone on to make a name for himself at Ashton Gate.
Charlie Savage's career statistics
Already winning a senior Wales cap under Rob Page at only 20 years of age, with the national team manager referring to Savage as "first-class" during that one-off occasion, it's fair to say the 6 foot midfielder is being tipped to have a bright future in the game.
During his time at Old Trafford before a move to Reading materialised, Savage amassed six goals and seven assists across 60 appearances in various different Red Devils age brackets.
This season for Reading, Savage hasn't looked out of place in the hustle and bustle of men's football with four goals and two assists managed in all competitions from 32 games played.
The 6 foot sensation could well have arrived onto the scene at Pride Park and fulfilled the role Bird excels in as a result, with the standout 23-year-old helping himself to four goals and ten assists from 62 third tier starts for the Rams.
The aforementioned Adams could well do the job for the remainder of this campaign on loan from the Bluebirds, helping himself to ten goals and 11 assists for League Two Forest Green during a lively patch of his career before Cardiff came calling.
But, the Gambian midfielder would inevitably just return back to the comforts of the Championship if he succeeds in Derbyshire and leave the Rams scrambling for a new recruit again.
Whereas, if Derby had tied Savage down to a permanent move right at the start of the window, they could well have had a long-lived and successful heir to Bird's throne already in place.