Arsenal, like much of the Premier League, had an extraordinarily quiet transfer window last month, and not even the madness of deadline day could get Edu and Co spending.
In fact, the only transfer completed at the club involved several youngsters going out on loan, the termination of Alex Runarsson's contract, the sale of Bradley Ibrahim to Hertba Berlin and one more deal which could prove to be very costly.
The Gunners have generally been quite savvy in recent transfer windows, with both the incomings and outgoings generally panning out. Still, this latest sale could backfire massively and bears an undeniable resemblance to Ashley Cole's exit all those years ago.
The Gunners fumble their full-back future
Before he was running up and charging up and down the pitch in the blue and white of Chelsea, Cole was a beloved member of arguably Arsenal's greatest-ever team, The Invincibles.
He debuted for the club in November 1999 against Middlesbrough, but he established himself in the side following an injury to Silvinho early in the 2000/2001 campaign.
What followed is well remembered by Arsenal fans as potentially the most significant period in the club's history. However, a shock move to the Blues in the summer of 2006 – allegedly over pay – tarnished his legacy with the north Londoners, and fans had to watch him lift every trophy there was with one of their biggest rivals.
The sale of arguably the "best to ever play in this country" in his position – according to pundit Darren Bent – the 107-cap former England international will always be one the worst decisions the Gunners have ever made, and unfortunately for fans, the transfer of Lino Sousa to Aston Villa on Deadline Day could pan out similarly.
Why Arsenal could regret selling Lino Sousa
It was amid the Deadline Day mania – well, maybe not this year – that Arsenal announced the permanent transfer of talented full-back Sousa to Premier League rivals Aston Villa – who then sent him on loan to Plymouth Argyle – and while many simply shrugged their shoulders, there were a few shocked by the news.
Data analyst Ben Mattinson was one of them, explaining that he was "gutted" due to his belief that the 19-year-old "might make it" in the first team and had a genuine shot at becoming "England's future LB" – sound familiar?
Now, comparing a teenager with Cole could be seen as hyperbole or as setting the youngster up for failure, but with how the Lisbon-born, England youth international performed for the Arsenal academy and with how he is spoken about by those who have seen him play, it might not be as far-fetched as you'd first assume.
In his 74 appearances across his time as a youth player for both Arsenal and West Bromwich Albion, the talented youngster scored seven goals and provided four assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 7.67 games.
Arsenal
West Bromwich Albion
52
22
5
2
3
1
0.15
0.13
While that might not sound outrageously impressive, Cole's 21 goals and 73 assists in his 701 professional games mean he averaged a goal involvement every 7.45 games.
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Ultimately, a comparison to one of the all-time greats is always going to invite pressure, but with Mattinson's convictions combined with Argyle manager Ian Foster's claim that he possesses "huge potential" and his impressive youth record to back it up, Sousa looks set to achieve big things in the game – away from the Emirates.