Southampton fans will have a tough time reasoning why the club couldn't offload Samuel Edozie which is now a win-win chance dropped.
Within twenty days, Southampton will exchange blows with an English rival who were as spendthrift as them throughout the window's length. Not playing guesses here, they are Liverpool where the Saints have less hearts to win and even less blame to collect from their fans.
Now, the draw materialised in the past week from where both teams have enhanced the looks on their roster. If we bring unbiased Premier League and Championship critics into the conversation, then they will honour the Reds and the Saints with the highest signings score they can give, the maximum being ten.
Not worrying about the former, but Southampton have a demerit that will restrict the ratings paddle at nine. According to position stats from Transfermarkt, the team reads to-the-point symmetrical except the wide forward roles.
Edozie sticks out as rare Saints error in wide attacking ranks
There, the equation is four top-choice left attackers while only one to keep the right flank engaged. Therefore, it's Tom Fellows' favour to lose while a turn-taking game is developing on the far left.
The mantle of rotation will fall mostly on Samuel Edozie, though the Saints kept a plan until the final few days. As pointed out by Saints Extra, only one of Edozie and Scienza was meant to be in the front three.
Now, the former had been okay if the Brazilian got the board's thumbs-up but the worst struck for Edozie, who is still left to figure things out. Minute but not insignificant, he can still land a flight to Club Brugge or to some selected divisions where the signing period is still open.
But the biggest chance is gone, and that mainly contained a permanent cash-in opportunity for Southampton.