Southampton were unable to bring Armand Lauriente to the Premier League in the previous summer. Now, the wide midfielder has missed another route to the English top-flight.
For players not named Aaron Ramsdale, transfer fumbles during the final stages are difficult to recover from and can send the individual in question down a different career path. Even at present, the Southampton keeper is uncertain about which side he will land in the Newcastle-Sunderland derby, if he does get concrete offers at all.
That's a worry in its own right, but for some, chasing the Premier League dream feels like waging a lost battle. And one of those sitting on the unfortunate end of luck is former Southampton target Armand Lauriente.
According to last year's Football Insider report, the 26-year-old was eyed by the Saints way before they landed Ramsdale. Yet, the club passed down Lauriente in favour of other failing attackers which did no good to either the player's Premier League ambitions or the club's.
Lauriente still left knocking Premier League door in vain
Quick rewind to now, and Lauriente was surrounded by another English top-flight move, and simultaneously to another playoff winner Sunderland. In the background, there was a mild possibility of Ramsdale and Lauriente sharing the locker room, which they couldn't do one year prior at St. Mary's.
Now, it's far from certain they will ever be teammates because the wide midfielder has again been denied a Premier League switch.
In his own words, Fabrizio Romano delivered Lauriente's bad news saying: "Armand Lauriente's move to Sunderland has collapsed after player travelled for medical and signature on Saturday. Deal off with Sassuolo winger due to return to Italy."
Ultimately, it's not the end of the Premier League road for Lauriente, which hasn't begun in the first place. However, the wait is about to continue, and it may take another summer window for the Serie A forward to turn third time lucky.