Leeds United may have invested heavily over the last two transfer windows, yet it still feels like they have regressed given how they currently sit in the relegation zone.
Perhaps overlooking the talent already within the squad, or even further down into the youth setups, Jesse Marsch opted to purchase who he thought might be the catalysts to take them away from a battle to avoid the drop, which has clearly not worked.
It is fair to say that the acquisition of Weston McKennie has been one of the more disappointing ones, with the American initially expected to make an instant impact in the engine room alongside compatriot Tyler Adams.
With Javi Gracia now at the helm, having been brought in after the January window, this squad is now made up of a jumble of individuals none of whom he has selected.
Perhaps in an effort to stamp his own mark on the side, he could now dip into that wealth of youth talent to drop some of the mainstays, allowing someone like Sam Greenwood to offer some offensive firepower beside the ever-present American signed in the summer.
How has Weston McKennie played for Leeds?
Having moved on loan, the possibility that McKennie could be obligated to sign in the summer for £30m remains unknown. But given his poor start to life at Elland Road, fans will be questioning whether that would mark a smart move for a club having already made a bagful of errors in the market of late.
Boasting an average rating of 6.64 across his seven appearances, an 81% pass accuracy and 0.6 key passes per game (via Sofascore) have outlined him as far from the creative presence he was billed as one upon his switch from Juventus.
The 24-year-old is being carried by Adams, whose 3.7 tackles per game serves to further emphasise this.
If the Whites are to persist with an offensive midfielder to partner the former RB Leipzig man, then it begs the question as to why Greenwood has not been handed his chance.
Across his 15 appearances, of which he averages just 24 minutes per game, the 21-year-old still manages a 6.78 average rating that is underpinned by his one goal, two assists and 0.9 key passes per game (via Sofascore). He is a true creative threat from deep, boasting the maturity to not leave his partner completely alone in the engine room.
Having been lauded by journalist Alisa Cowen as part of a "bright" generation for Leeds, it causes further confusion as to why he cannot join the likes of Wilfried Gnonto and Crysencio Summerville as first-team regulars.
He already seems to be outperforming McKennie despite having less game time and could save them a fortune in the summer by usurping him as Adams' true perfect partner.