Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz looked to be on the brink of leaving the club in the summer transfer window, with the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool linked with the Brazilian.
In the end, the former Manchester City man would remain at Villa Park, which could prove to be an error by Steven Gerrard as he is now set to leave the club next summer on a free transfer when his current contract expires, with foreign clubs able to begin talks with the midfielder in January.
With Boubacar Kamara now injured until after the World Cup, Gerrard has been forced to recall the Brazilian to his first team after handing him just two starts in the Premier League before last weekend's stalemate against Leeds United.
The 24-year-old showed his qualities in that game, earning a superb 7.74 rating from WhoScored for his performance, so it may prove tough to replace him when he does leave, with reports suggesting that he has already decided to move on from the Midlands club when his contract expires.
Fortunately for Gerrard, he may have a ready-made replacement for the Brazilian in academy gem, Tim Iroegbunam.
The teenage midfielder broke into the first team last season, making his debut against Brighton, with a further three senior Villa appearances to his name since then.
The 19-year-old was subsequently sent on loan to QPR for the season and has made five appearances for Michael Beale's side in the Championship, helping the Hoops to fourth place in the second tier.
It is no surprise that the former Villa assistant wanted to take Iroegbunam with him to QPR, as he was full of praise for him last season, saying:
"He is a top young footballer and a super impressive young man also. A very bright future ahead."
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Gerrard also sang his praises after seeing him perform for the academy side, saying:
"I went to watch him for the under-23s in the week (vs Norwich) and he started a little bit slow and, obviously, got sent off at the end but in the middle bit of the game, he was outstanding and looked like a Premier League player. He's one I'm excited to keep developing and keep polishing up. He's a great kid, humble, and needs to keep working."
Therefore, when Luiz leaves Villa, there seems little reason why Iroegbunam can't step up as his replacement, especially if he can go on to have a fruitful campaign in the Championship this season.