How Birmingham City beat West Ham to Dael Fry deal as surprise transfer completed
Blues announced on Friday that they've signed the 28-year-old centre-back on a three-year contract as they bid to return to the Premier League for the first time since their relegation in 2010-11.
As for West Ham, they're hoping to bounce back immediately following a disappointing drop in the Championship last term.
On Saturday, the Hammers announced Nils Koppen as their new director of player recruitment, but his arrival has come too late to sign Fry, who had been mentioned as a Nuno Espirito Santo transfer target this summer.
Fry left Middlesbrough, where he'd spent his entire career, at the end of June when his contract expired, and it has been reported that Boro had tried twice to keep hold of him.
But West Ham were also keen, but their bid to sign the defender has ended in failure.
Birmingham's edge over West Ham revealed as they snap up deal
The Sun reported on Friday that West Ham and Birmingham weren't the only clubs keen on Fry.
Boro made efforts to sign up the England Under-20 World Cup winner to a new contract, while Hull, Blackburn and Lincoln also had their sights on the centre-back.
Birmingham, however, reportedly beat West Ham because Fry "felt Birmingham and St Andrews was the best option to progress his career".
The report also mentions the ambition of Chris Davies' side, who are owned by US billionaire Tom Wagner, which suggests that might have also played a role in Fry's decision.
West Ham might not have pursued Fry to the point they offered him a deal, either, with Koppen arriving a day after the ex-Middlesbrough man landed in the West Midlands.
But there are other options Koppen can still explore to improve West Ham's defence.
Which defenders West Ham could sign instead of Fry
It's not exactly a case of going back to the drawing board.
Nuno will have other defenders on his mind as he looks to navigate a tricky summer transfer window in which many of West Ham's star players are expected to quit the London Stadium.
And it's unlikely that Koppen will have arrived empty-handed, too. He's no doubt got the job because he's got some interesting targets in mind.
Southampton's Taylor Harwood-Bellis is arguably the best centre-back who's been linked with the Irons and any regret over not landing Fry would vanish if a deal is done for him.
Roma defender Jan Ziolkowski is another reportedly on West Ham's radar.