It might feel like Manchester United have been dealt a transfer blow before the window is even open but the reality is a little different.
United are on the hunt for a new forward in January and the player linked with a move to Old Trafford the most is - well, was - Cody Gakpo. But instead of gorging on leftover Turkey and copious amounts of chocolate, Liverpool were getting to the nitty gritty of negotiations on Boxing Day. Out of nowhere, just before 10pm on Monday, PSV Eindhoven announced they had reached an agreement with the Merseyside outfit for the player.
To have signed one of the game's up-and-coming stars off the back of a breakout World Cup before the window has even opened is yet more excellent work in the market by Liverpool and it has had the side effect of making it look like their great rivals were caught napping.
United would rather not spend in the new year after their £200million-plus outlay just a few months ago and want to begin their search for a new star striker in the summer. But Cristiano Ronaldo has left them in a bind. Erik ten Hag was already perilously short on options before the Portguese's strop and dramatic exit but now he has been left with just two central strikers: Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.
Competing on four different fronts with such a paltry arsenal is not the best way of ensuring success in any of them, especially with Martial's injury record. The race for the top four is looking especially tough with unexpected competition in Newcastle already making things tight.
If United don't qualify for the Champions League then they can kiss goodbye to any chance of signing a high-calibre striker, such as Victor Osimhen, in the summer so they have little choice but to act. Even if it's only a short-term stopgap, a new striker has to be signed in January, which is why the continued links to Gakpo were slightly baffling.
United certainly held an interest in the 23-year-old but that was to fill a wide position. Gakpo was considered as a possible alternative to Antony in the summer but the club finally managed to wear Ajax down and secure Ten Hag's top target.
Though Gakpo did operate more centrally for the Netherlands in Qatar, it was in a 3-5-2 formation and he still tended to drift out wide. Meanwhile, every single one of his 24 appearances for PSV this season has come on the left wing. A right-footed inverted forward is certainly not where United are lacking given they already have Rashford, Martial, Jadon Sancho and Alejandro Garnacho and Antony was signed to bring balance to the squad as a result.
There's a possibility Gakpo develops in a central role at Anfield, of course, but United don't have the time or breathing room to risk it not working. A natural centre forward is required and having the temptation of Gakpo taken off the table may well prove to be a blessing in disguise.
The drawback though is that Gakpo was one of the few attainable and quality forwards in January, a market that is so challenging to work in. The likes of Osimhen or Goncalo Ramos are unlikely to move midway through a season when their clubs are doing well domestically and in Europe. That's even if money wasn't a factor, either.
United are going to have to get creative in their search whether it be a disgruntled forward looking to move on loan like Joao Felix or Memphis Depay or one whose contract will be up in the summer like Lyon's Moussa Dembele.
Whatever United wind up doing, it will need to be something if they want to capitalise on Ten Hag's good start. Perhaps that's another area in which Liverpool's rapid move for Gakpo will benefit, as it couldn't be a bigger kick up the rear end to spur United into action. The pressure from supporters and the coach was already high for United to recruit in January and now Liverpool have increased it further.
Though it appears United have been dealt a blow, it might be the slap in the face needed to get them going.