Newcastle United's owners worked 'tirelessly' to prepare for January, but they have not been getting much sleep during their first transfer window, either.
It is certainly not lost on the hierarchy that what they do in the final 11 days of the window will have a huge bearing on whether Newcastle can defy the odds and stay up.
While it would be a shock if Newcastle had any new signings in place for Saturday's huge game at Leeds, there will still be 51 points up for grabs by the time the window closes so it is crucial the Magpies make further quality additions before February 1.
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Atletico Madrid's willingness to respect Kieran Trippier's wishes to return to the north of England and Chris Wood's affordable release clause made those deals a little more straightforward earlier this month, but landing a top centre-back has proved much more difficult.
Top targets Sven Botman and Diego Carlos have both wanted to come but Lille and Sevilla, understandably, have been in no rush to sell unless they receive an offer they simple cannot refuse.
However, Newcastle are wary of setting a precedent by dramatically overpaying for players and the club's owners do not want their spending in the mid-season window to hamper potential deals in the summer as they look to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.
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Eddie Howe, himself, hinted at this stance for the first time when the Newcastle head coach spoke to reporters just six days ago.
"You have to draw a line in certain situations and say that we're not going to pay that money because, otherwise, where does the game go?" Howe said.
"It goes to an uncomfortable place I think so it's all about the individual player and judging each situation on individual merits and that's what we've tried to do."
Although Newcastle walked away from the Botman deal earlier this month, after Lille hiked the price, tellingly, the Magpies have yet to do so with Carlos - who has also attracted interest from another Premier League club.
The hierarchy remain hopeful that a compromise can be reached in the coming days and are well-aware that securing the Brazilian could go a long way to boosting their chances of staying up.
Newcastle, after all, have conceded 43 goals this season and that leaky defence has simply been unable to hold firm, which has led to the black-and-whites throwing away a whopping 21 points from winning positions.
Carlos, in contrast, has played his part in Sevilla having the meanest defence in La Liga and the strong centre-back has all the physical attributes to suggest he would not necessarily be bullied in the Premier League.
No other player has blocked more shots in the Spanish top-flight this season and, on the ball, Carlos has made more accurate passes than any other defender, which is an area Newcastle's centre-backs have struggled with.
It is always a big ask for a defender, in particular, to move from abroad in the mid-season window, but the hope is that Newcastle's sizeable Spanish-speaking contingent could help Carlos to settle in on and off the field if the deal comes off.
That is not to say Carlos would be the perfect signing by any means. The 28-year-old can be rash and no other player has given away more penalties in La Liga this season or made made more errors leading to shots.
Those rushes of blood were exploited by both Wolves and Manchester United in the Europa League in 2020, but it says it all that Carlos would still represent a huge upgrade on what Newcastle have.
While Carlos' desire to swap a title challenge with Sevilla for an immediate relegation battle with Newcastle may come as a surprise, even with the life-changing wages on offer, the Brazilian is a fighter.
Indeed, it was only seven years ago that Carlos was playing for Porto's B team after moving to Europe for the first time.
Since then, Carlos has climbed the ladder at Estoril, Nantes and Sevilla, going on to win the Europa League and Olympic gold in the process, and testing himself in the Premier League is the next logical step.
Newcastle have done their homework on that journey and feel the centre-back may be just the sort of character who could help save their season.
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