For example, although Bruno Guimaraes' move to Arsenal seemed a formality in the end, there was little to suggest the Brazilian was going anywhere at the final whistle of the final game of last season.
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Why would Barca sell their captain?
His decision may have been influenced, of course, by Newcastle's willingness to sell Sandro Tonali to Tottenham Hotspur, and Anthony Gordon to Barcelona, two more transfers that no one could've expected ahead of the World Cup.
It's the Catalan giants who are also involved in what might be considered the strangest deal of the window so far, at least from a Liverpool supporter perspective.
News recently broke via social media and elsewhere that the Reds had agreed a loan deal with Barcelona captain, Ronald Araujo.
Followers of the Reds might be wondering why the Blaugranes would consider selling their man with the armband, even if the move suits Andoni Iraola at this stage because of a lack of defensive cover.
Araujo has struggled of late
With Ibrahima Konate having moved on, Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni still injured, and Jeremy Jacquet still not fully fit either, Iraola needed a reasonably-priced centre-back to be content with either partnering Virgil van Dijk in the starting XI, or potentially a place on the bench when everyone was fit and fighting for their place.
Those seasoned LaLiga watchers will have known that Araujo hasn't been at his absolute best for a while now, though those who follow the Premier League more closely may not be that clued up on the Uruguayan's struggles of late.
Off the pitch, the 27-year-old took time out of the 2025/26 campaign because of mental health struggles, and though some may see that as a huge red flag, both Araujo himself, for his bravery, and Barcelona as a club, for their understanding, deserve great credit.
They allowed him as much time as was required to get back in the right headspace, in order to give his absolute best on the pitch.
Question marks over decision-making
Unfortunately for him, by the time he was ready to be considered for selection again, Hansi Flick's side was doing just fine without Araujo, and that limited him to just 11 starts in LaLiga across the season, and just 16 in all competitions.
There had also been question marks as to the player's decision-making on more than one occasion.
A towering and physical presence in the air, very quick across the ground, and a player who is as adept as a right-back as he is as a central defender, there is much to admire about Araujo's natural game.
However, it has been noticeable that in the bigger tests that Barcelona have had over the past couple of seasons, the player has been found wanting in some areas.
Playing alongside van Dijk, who would arguably take the lion's share of responsibility from Araujo, may actually work in the latter's favour, as, devoid of the pressures of a captaincy, it would allow him simply to concentrate on the task in hand.
Rarely beaten in the air
Taking the 2025/26 campaign as a sample size, the Uruguayan's cumulative 1,614 minutes played were equivalent to just 17 full matches in all competitions.
However, at no point during those matches did his pass completion rate drop below 88.02%, and with Iraola known to like his players to move the ball about with ease and purpose, one suspects that Araujo will have no problem whatsoever in slotting straight into such a dynamic.
As might be expected, too, he's rarely beaten aerially, losing just 28 of the 97 aerial duels he contested last season.
In terms of his ground one-on-one duels, winning 108 of 164 attempted gave him a healthy completion rate of up to 70.59%, whilst defensively, winning 24 of 33 tackles attempted saw his success in this regard as high as 77.78%.
No real risk for Liverpool at this stage
Three headed goals from the four scored last season show where his attacking prowess lies, though his shooting accuracy of 45.45%, and shot conversion rate at 25%, isn't awful for a defender.
Indeed, there are enough facets of Araujo's game to be excited about, but he has let himself down with rash challenges that have earned him red cards and suspensions, and one can't really be too sure at this point in what frame of mind he truly is, with the greatest of respect.
Given that the initial move is a loan, however, there isn't really any risk attached for the Reds, and if the centre-back proves to be a success, then he'll be spending the best years of his career at Anfield, because they'll jump at the chance to sign him permanently.
Jason Pettigrove has been the features writer for Flashscore since 2025, utilising Opta data to form the basis of his articles. He has previously worked for high profile football clubs, news and media outlets, both in print and digital, and can usually be found watching FC Barcelona when time permits. You can read more of his pieces here.
