Alex Song's move to Rubin Kazan has largely gone under the radar this week.
During a heady few days of high-profile African transfers -- with the likes of Abdul Rahman Baba, Mohamed Salah, Wissam Ben Yedder and Mohamed Diame all moving clubs -- the Cameroonian's switch to Russia didn't quite puncture the collective psyche as other moves did.
It's a sorry decline for a player who once appeared to have the quality to become one of the finest African midfielders of his generation.
Barcelona finally decided to draw an end to the player's troubled time in Catalonia on Monday, releasing the 28-year-old from his contract.
As the Catalan giants set about the defence of their Spanish title and prepare to launch a bid to reclaim the Champions League crown, Luis Enrique deemed that Song was surplus to requirements and no longer had a role to play at the Camp Nou.
Only four years before, Song had pushed ardently for a move to Catalonia from Arsenal, and surely had never imagined that his stint in Spain would end on such a low note.
He moved for approximately £15 million -- with a £63m release clause -- yet was allowed to leave for nothing, a year before his contract was due to end.
During his final campaign in North London, Song had begun to demonstrate another aspect to his game.
He proved that he wasn't just another prototypical African defensive midfielder -- the stereotype that's so often trotted out in English (and French) football -- but that he could be more of a creative force and an offensive influence for Arsene Wenger.
There was, notably, the dazzling lofted pass that set up Robin van Persie's volley against Everton, as Song displayed a technical prowess and vision that set him apart as the kind of cornerstone around whom Wenger could potentially build his next title-winning side.
He contributed 11 assists in that final season -- the fourth-highest in the top-flight -- and a burgeoning relationship with Jack Wilshere promised great things.
However, the former SC Bastia man had other plans, and during a period of regular big-name departures from the Emirates Stadium, he felt like he had become the latest star who had outgrown his surroundings.
At Barcelona, it never truly clicked. While the club surely hoped that Song's improving technical qualities would help him adapt to the club's idiosyncratic style of play, he often looked off the pace and appeared to slow down the team's quick midfield exchanges, rather than fit in seamlessly.
Similarly, as he failed to establish himself as a first-team regular -- a predictable outcome considering the presence of Sergio Busquets -- he often appeared to find it hard to find a rhythm to his game, becoming an occasional hindrance to his teammates.
In this regard, he struggled to emulate Seydou Keita, who never truly pinned down a starting berth in Pep Guardiola's great team, but instead fitted in seamlessly as an ever-willing substitute who knew how to adapt to the needs of the team at any one moment -- be they technical or physical -- and execute the coach's demands effortlessly.
While Keita left Barca with Pep eulogising that he was his "ethical and moral barometer", Song's lasting legacy at the club is perhaps the moment of hideous awkwardness when he stepped forward -- beaming -- when he thought Carles Puyol was to present him with the Spanish title, only for the captain to offer it to Eric Abidal, standing next to Song, instead.
The Cameroon midfielder's delighted grin as the skipper approached him, and then his aching embarrassment as he was overlooked replicated -- to a degree -- his unfortunate trajectory at Barca, where the dream of becoming a superstar has ended with a slink into one of Europe's lesser leagues.
This 'stat' demonstrates Song's declining influence at the club and the low value Luis Enrique placed on his services.
He featured 34 times under the late Tito Vilanova and 31 times under Gerardo Martino, but failed to make a single appearance during Luis Enrique's reign as his hopes of making a Nou Camp impact wilted.
In the meantime, however, he did prove his class in the Premier League, moving to West Ham on loan and becoming something of a catalyst for the club's recent improving stature.
He brought calm, composure and authority to the heart of the park under Sam Allardyce during the 2014/15 season, and while last term was less successful, he still helped the Hammers back into the Europa League with 12 top-flight outings.
The midfielder has revealed that he's planning to make a "great impact" in Russia with Kazan, and while he may well do that -- he's in his prime and has the quality -- it's surely not the position he'd expected to be in when he pushed for an exit from North London.
Indeed, it's intriguing to imagine what might have been -- and what Song's standing in the world game would be -- had he remained at Arsenal back in 2012 and allowed to continue his progression in the heart of the Gunners' midfield.