When a £100m price tag was attached to Tyler Dibling, as speculation raged about his future at Southampton, the youngster admitted it became a running joke among his team-mates.
It was an indication, however, of just how highly rated lavishly-gifted Dibling had become in a Saints side which was doomed to relegation long before the end of last season.
When Dibling did eventually move, following links to Tottenham and RB Leipzig among others, it was to Everton in a £40m deal that made him one of the most expensive signings in the club’s history.
He was hailed as a generational talent, who would become a central component in Everton's new era at Hill Dickinson Stadium under manager David Moyes.
Instead, the 20-year-old has had a transitional season spent largely in the wilderness at Everton, starting only four Premier League games and featuring for just 513 minutes in total.
Dibling was also overlooked when Jack Grealish, whose socks down dribbling style drew comparisons between the pair, suffered a season-ending foot injury. Instead, Dwight McNeil, who Everton were prepared to sell to Crystal Palace until a late-hitch scuppered the deal, has been chosen ahead of him.
Dibling is an introverted character and, while Everton might have wanted more from his first campaign, there are no questions about his future. It was always felt it might take time for a youngster to settle in the north.
Moyes is certainly not panicking, although he will not be in the starting line-up for Monday night's home game against Manchester City.
"He'll have to do better in his work and in his training," said Moyes. "We brought in Tyrique George on loan from Chelsea, who is of a similar age and as competition as well, to make sure we were covered.
"We want Tyler to step up, we really do. He is important to us. He is a player who we put a lot of faith and money in to, so we are looking for a lot more."
This summer's pre-season is regarded as crucial to his development – the point at which he will have to prove he is ready to fight for regular football.
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