The last-gasp signing of Marouane Fellaini has done little to freshen the air as the transfer window slammed shut with a whiff of desperation, farce and disappointment hanging over Manchester United.
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The Premier League champions made all the right noises at the start of the close season with bids for Barcelona's Cesc Fabregas and media reports of a desire to recapture Cristiano Ronaldo signalling real ambition to net a big name.
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Yet as the clock ticked down on Monday's transfer deadline day, United were minutes away from coming away with only a promising Uruguayan youngster as attempts to sign Athletic Bilbao's Ander Herrera and Real Madrid's Fabio Coentrao failed.
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A close season spent fighting off Chelsea's advances for disgruntled England striker Wayne Rooney was also an unnecessary distraction as each of the club's transfer targets appeared to join other clubs or opt to stay put.
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In the end, they hurried through a 27.5 million-pound deal for Everton's Fellaini, who is undoubtedly talented but does not have the same pedigree as their failed targets or Arsenal's last-minute buy Mesut Ozil.
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United manager David Moyes had maintained throughout that he would not be worried if his club did not bring in any new faces as he was happy with his squad and yet the final-day chase of a number of players had a frantic air about it.