Tom Flanagan's decision to leave Burton Albion has caused genuine surprise with fans and, seemingly, the club.
According to the Brewers' statement and manager Nigel Clough, the Northern Ireland international - out of contract this summer at the Pirelli Stadium - had verbally agreed a new deal and was set to sign this week.
Instead, the news broke on Tuesday evening that he had elected to move on after two years with Albion.
There has been no indication yet from the player on his reasons for turning down the chance to stay with the Brewers, but it will surely become evident in the coming days or weeks.
As for Clough and his team, they will reassess where they stand in terms of defensive options ahead of the 2017/18 campaign, because they clearly anticipated that Flanagan would be a Burton Albion player again next term.
They have, of course, bolstered their defensive ranks by signing full-back Stephen Warnock and former Brewers centre-half Jake Buxton this week.
But they have now lost one of the defenders who played a key role in helping Albion upset the odds and survive in the Championship last term.
Flanagan's departure is such a surprise because of how things went for him as 2016/17 progressed, and the value Clough clearly saw in him.
The 25-year-old was originally signed by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in the summer of 2015 from MK Dons, primarily as an option at centre-back.
That is where he was largely used throughout the Brewers' push for promotion out of League One, with Clough regularly selecting him over stalwart Shane Cansdell-Sherriff during the crucial run-in late in the season.
His quality in the air and energy across the defensive line proved important as Albion got the job done.
The Brewers' plethora of pre-season fixtures last summer then offered an insight into the role Clough saw Flanagan playing the following season - and that proved to be the case.
The former MK Don - who earned regular international call-ups across the 2016/17 season and was given his senior Northern Ireland debut in a friendly with New Zealand this month - began as an option at right-wing-back.
Defensively solid, he was not able to recreate that quality further upfield in terms of getting the ball into the box - understandable given he was playing the role for the first time.
A couple of shaky early-season displays elicited some vocal criticism from a minority of supporters at the Pirelli Stadium.
Later in the season, Flanagan would say of that response: "Obviously it wasn't going great for a couple of weeks. It's not something that I take too much notice of, to be honest."
He would add: "At the end of the day, as much as I appreciate the fans, the manager - what he says goes."
As the campaign wore on and the Brewers' open, free-flowing approach was altered to make them harder to beat, Flanagan came into his own.
A three-man defence became four at the back, with Flanagan a mainstay at left-back. He would go on to turn in a series of composed displays against some of the league's outstanding wingers.
Wolverhampton Wanderers' £13m-man Helder Costa, Derby County's top scorer Tom Ince and a couple of pacy Norwich City widemen were unable to get the better of Albion's Northern Ireland defender, who dominated them in the air and cut off the supply lines out wide.
Such a crucial member of the Brewers' squad by the time they secured Championship survival at Barnsley in late April, Flanagan was duly offered a new contract - alongside seven other first-team players.
The other seven committed their futures to Albion, and Flanagan was expected to follow suit, with the club reporting that a verbal agreement was in place.
Flanagan's versatility is what made him an asset to the Brewers, and that would likely have proven valuable again. A consistent performer at full-back, he had also gained experience as a wing-back and could slip in at centre-half if needed.
That would have given Clough the option to use him in a range of different systems - something the Brewers boss did last season.
But Flanagan will now not be a part of that Albion defence. Time will tell whether he will turn out against the Brewers in the Championship next season.
There is no indication as of yet from the player on whether he has received any other offers, or any other potential reasons for his decision to leave.
Given the way his stock was on the rise at the Pirelli, though, and the fact that a string of eye-catching displays had earned him a first senior Northern Ireland cap, there is no doubting the shock of Flanagan's departure.
