The relief was palpable.
As the clock struck 11pm on Monday night, Cardiff City supporters could finally turn off Sky Sports, log out of Twitter and rest their weary eyes, drifting off safe in the knowledge that one of the Championship’s most feared hitmen was staying put.
It had been an exhausting deadline day for Bluebirds supporters.
As late as 5pm, the Express and Star reported that Wolverhampton Wanderers had stepped up their pursuit of Kieffer Moore, the warhorse Welshman who scored 20 goals during a superb debut season with the Bluebirds.
Given Cardiff’s track record when it comes to selling star players – and after manager Mick McCarthy admitted he would not stand in Moore’s way if a Premier League club come calling – you could understand why many in South Wales were wringing their hands and wiping the sweat from their brow.
But, as the deadline passed and the window slammed shut, it was Wolves supporters who were venting their fury on social media as champagne corks popped in South Wales.
Could Cardiff now fight for promotion?
After failing to secure so many of their top targets – including Boubacar Kamara and Renato Sanches – a deal for Moore would not have smacked of ambition.
Missing out on him, too, raises serious questions about the ambition of a club who’s big-spending days appear to be behind them.
According to Sky Sports, the Black Country giants were reluctant to meet Cardiff’s £12 million asking price for a striker who joined the club for just £2 million in August 2020.
And, with that, the saga was over.
A penny for Moore’s thoughts. At the age of 29, even the most rose-tinted of Cardiff supporters would not begrudge the late-blooming targetman if he dreamed of testing his mettle against the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Raphael Varane and Thiago Silva.
Then again, this should give Moore even more motivation as he looks to fire Cardiff into the play-off places.
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