A dejected looking Tosin Adarabioyo after the Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and Chelsea FC
With Profit and Sustainability Rule [PSR] concerns looming large on Tyneside last summer, Newcastle United had to get creative. As such, the free transfer market was explored and Lloyd Kelly, poised to depart Bournemouth at the end of his deal, was brought to Tyneside in what looked like a shrewd piece of business.
However, before the Magpies made their move for the now-Juventus defender, there was equal interest in another central defensive option, Tosin Adarabioyo, as he said his goodbyes at Fulham. The 27-year-old had held talks with Newcastle as Eddie Howe sought to bring both he and Kelly to St James' Park in the early stages of the summer window.
An attractive offer was presented to the departing Fulham star in the hope of persuading him to the north east but those efforts fell flat as Chelsea swooped in at the 11th hour. Newcastle were left reeling at the decision, with many questioning why the defender would make such a move given the wild, seemingly reckless spending at Stamford Bridge last year.
In hindsight, the move - from Tosin's perspective - made sense. He is a London boy born and bred, and the opportunity to move just a few miles down the road played a crucial role in him choosing to stay in the capital rather than venture to the opposite end of the country for a new challenge.
Chelsea's European qualification and the fact Tosin had briefly worked with Blues boss Enzo Maresca while at Manchester City certainly added to the positives of joining Stamford Bridge.
"Chelsea is a huge club and this is a full-circle moment for me," he said as he was confirmed as a Chelsea player. "I was born three miles away from Stamford Bridge and made my professional debut there.
Had both moves paid off, Newcastle's transfer business at the back end of the pitch would likely have been done for the summer, with months of the trading period still remaining. Tosin and Kelly would both have provided competition for Dan Burn, Fabian Schar and Sven Botman, saving United millions in the process.
Instead, it sent the black and whites back to the drawing board - and meant incoming sporting director Paul Mitchell was tasked with bringing in a highly-rated centre-back with limited budget available. Much of the boardroom chief's early days at Newcastle were spent locked in talks with Crystal Palace over a move for Marc Guehi.
As has been well-documented, that move failed to materialise as the Eagles upped their valuation of the England international to the point Newcastle were unwilling to meet their demands. In turn, Guehi's arrival would have prompted a balancing of the books through a big sale or two from Howe's dressing room given those aforementioned PSR worries.
Tosin joined Chelsea - where he has gone on to make 20 Premier League appearances in his debut campaign - and Newcastle ended the summer empty-handed in their pursuit of an additional defensive reinforcement alongside Kelly.
This weekend sees Adarabioyo arrive at St James' Park for the first time in the Premier League since becoming a Chelsea star. After sitting out the last two top flight outings as an unused substitute, it will be interesting to see whether the ex-Man City academy star makes it onto the pitch as the two sides battle it out for a top five finish.