It was almost 12 months ago when Chelsea's major summer mission was securing a superstar. The pursuit of an individual that could elevate the overall level of the team and produce things others couldn't. That player turned out to be Romelu Lukaku.
The failure of that deal is still in motion, even if the loan back to Inter Milan for next season gets the maligned Belgian out of sight and out of mind, it will be a problem Chelsea's new owners will have to revisit in 2023.
This summer of 2022 was supposed to be a much-needed course correct, the summer when Todd Boehly and Thomas Tuchel made the Blues transfers sensible. Going for either Cristiano Ronaldo or Neymar would collapse that theory instantly.
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It is fair to point out from the off that wide reports suggest Tuchel is not intent on signing Ronaldo or Neymar so far in this window. The focus is on finalising a deal for Raheem Sterling from Manchester City and progressing talks for Matthijs de Ligt and Nathan Ake.
But the allure of superstar power is obvious to see already. Ronaldo and Neymar are two of the sport's biggest names, for better or worse their own brand cultivates a legion of followers just for them over one club. Their numbers are record-breaking, talent undeniable.
Though both are past the age of 30 and would likely shatter any sensible transfer structure Boehly and co. want to install post the bloated Roman Abramovich era.
As Manchester United wrestled with last season, Ronaldo became the centre of a tactical argument at Old Trafford. For all his regular source of goals bailed United out of trouble and won points, his lack of pressing from the front limited them against better opposition.
Like Lukaku at Chelsea, the idea of the system over the individual became a persistent battle, one that seemed to undermine all three of Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Ralf Rangnick and Tuchel.
The same could be applied to Neymar, part of Mauricio Pochettino's downfall in the Champions League knockout stages to Real Madrid came with a front three who didn't do a lot of work off the ball. Not an issue in Ligue 1 when PSG are superior to their opposition, but a major problem against fellow European heavyweights.
Neymar not only brings the baggage of star power, but his injury record is also a major red flag for a player who admitted recently he could be entering his final years following this winter's World Cup in Qatar. Missing 42 games for club and country over the last two seasons.
For a player whose reported wages get close to £1m, in what world can you claim to be going for a data-led, shrewder level of recruitment and scouting if you splashed on Neymar, for whatever talent he could bring to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea fans liked to reshare a quote from Tuchel in response to Lukaku's controversial interview last December. It was in response to a question on how the German could get the best out of the struggling forward: "He is a key player and we want him to be a key player, but for me it is the wrong approach. It is a team sport so it is not about ten players serving one player, it is not Chelsea and is not football."
If you believe in this statement, then pursuing either Ronaldo or Neymar would objectively go against it. There are much smarter ways for Chelsea to invest this summer.
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