Derby County have had their best summer transfer window in recent years, and it is all down to what fans are describing as the Frank Lampard factor.
The Rams have secured the loan signings of Mason Mount and Harry Wilson, whilst Florian Jozefzoon, Jack Marriott and Aaron Eyoma have joined the club on permanent deals.
In recent seasons Derby have spent large transfer sums and wages, in pursuit of promotion to the Premier League.
This summer, however, has been a different story at Pride Park.
Chairman Mel Morris said before the end of the 17/18 season that if Derby were not to be promoted, then cutbacks would be made in the transfer kitty.
"We have to be responsible," said Morris when quizzed on the Rams transfer funds in June.
"It’s impossible to spend at the level we have year after year after year.
"FFP is very real, we take it very seriously, and we've been a big advocate of FFP.
"So it’s time to bring our house in order in that regard," finished Morris, who seemingly had tightened the purse strings for new boss Frank Lampard.
Fast forward to the end of July, and things look a little different in transfer terms than Derby fans imagined.
Five players have joined the club, and four first team players have left, Andreas Weimann joining Bristol City for £2m whilst Chris Baird, Jason Shackell and Darren Bent all left at the end of last season.
This has gone some way to reducing Derby's wage bill, which stood at £35m per year at the end of the 17/18 season.
The wage bill, along with huge transfer fees on what have been deemed average players had been the issue for the Rams for the last few seasons, with fans constantly looking over their shoulder for the threat of Financial Fair Play.
On the incomings, they have all been very well welcomed at the club, and fans have hailed the "Frank Lampard effect", being able to attract such players to the club.
Mason Mount was the first player to join the club, on a season-long loan from Chelsea.
A move to the Bundesliga looked his most likely destination after impressing whilst out on loan at Vitesse Arnhem last season.
Few could blame Mount for choosing top-flight football over the Rams, especially with the recent success of Ademola Lookman, Reece Oxford and Jason Sancho in Germany.
It came as a surprise when he chose the Rams and Championship football, but the Chelsea youngster made it clear that he wanted to play for Frank Lampard, with his links to Chelsea and his belief he can learn from him to improve his game.
"When I was growing up and playing for Chelsea, Frank Lampard is someone that I would always watch. He is a goal scoring midfielder," said Mount.
"I was watching his games, his goals and how he arrives into the box. He is always in the right position, so that’s something I try to look at and emulate," continued Mount when speaking to website GOAL about a potential move to Derby.
Highly-rated Liverpool winger Harry Wilson was next through the door at Moor Farm, arriving again on a season-long loan from the Champions League finalists.
Wilson signed a new five-year deal with the Reds prior to joining the Rams, and is highly regarded in the game.
Another coup for Derby, with numerous clubs in for the 21-year-old, but once again the Frank Lampard factor paid off.
"There was a lot of interest, but when I heard Derby were interested in me, I sat down with my agent and went through the teams that were interested and Derby was at the top of the list," said Wilson when speaking to Colin Gibson on dcfc.co.uk.
Wilson brings balance to the side as a natural winger, something Derby have missed since the departure of Tom Ince to Huddersfield Town.
Arguably a more important signing than Mount, the signing of these two young starlets signalled a change in how the Rams were ready to do business under Lampard.
The third signing of the summer was another winger to add to the squad, Brentford’s Florian Jozefzoon who joined the Rams for around £2.5m.
This continued a theme of signings, all young, hungry players, ready to learn and improve and most importantly for a lot of people, the transfer fee’s aren’t seen as huge.
Rams fans problems with the likes of Bradley Johnson, Nick Blackman and Jacob Butterfield to name three, have been the prices paid for them and how they have performed for the club.
The fee isn't by any means the players fault, but fans expect big performances for big price-tags, and none of the above players have showed consistently enough over the last few seasons.
Jozefzoon, 27, joins the Rams after scoring eight goals in 58 appearances for the Bees, and with a big reputation from the London side.
The fee nominal in regards to the modern game, and a reputation of beating players and creating opportunities was music to Derby fans ears.
Long have they been disappointed with big signings failing to deliver year in year out, but it seems now Mel Morris is steadying the ship, and the arrivals of Lampard and co have created a real sense of optimism not only amongst fans, but amongst players too, most of whom are keen to work for the Chelsea legend.
The icing on the cake for Rams fans was announced on Wednesday when they confirmed the arrival of Jack Marriott from Peterborough for a nominal £2.5m fee. The 24 year-old striker netted an impressive 33 goals in 56 games for the Posh last season.
A quick forward who plays on the shoulder of the last defender, Marriott add’s a different dimension to the Rams ever-changing front line. More importantly however, he adds goals which could be vital should top scorer Matej Vydra leave for Leeds, which looks more likely by the day.
The only thing stopping this becoming a fantastic transfer window is the lack of outgoings from a large squad. Frank Lampard still has 31 first-team players available, most of whom are picking up ballooned salaries.
The emergence of Luke Thomas, Max Lowe and Mason Bennett from the Derby academy have further bolstered the squad, and there is now a desperate need for players move on to reduce the wage bill.
Keeping Craig Bryson when it looked likely that he would leave for Cardiff is a large coup in itself, and it will feel like a new signing after the 31 year-old spent last season on-loan at the Bluebirds.
Matej Vydra seems ever more likely to leave the club for around £11m, which will boost the clubs transfer funds further, and whilst losing the clubs top-scorer may seem like a step backwards, the signings Derby have made will put fans minds at ease about the deal.
Nick Blackman, Chris Martin, Jacob Butterfield, Ikechi Anya, Marcus Olson, David Nugent have all been linked with a move away from Pride Park, and many Rams fans would be happy to see most of these leave the club, if it means raising much needed transfer funds.
Nick Blackman has never really had a chance at the club, and was farmed out on-loan last season. Couple this with the arrivals of Wilson, Jozefzoon and the emergence of Mason Bennett, Blackman has fallen further down the pecking order.
Chris Martin is still a cult figure at the club, but hasn't scored goals regularly enough and has been allowed to leave the club on-loan twice in the last two years, which suggests his memorable time with the Rams is over.
Jacob Butterfield and Ikechi Anya have both struggled to hold down first-team places in their two seasons with the club, with Butterfield spending last season at Sheffield Wednesday and Anya struggling with injury.
The arrival of Mason Mount, and return of Craig Bryson makes Butterfield surplus to requirements, with Wilson and Jozefzoon arriving, Anya's already limited first-team opportunities have seemingly dwindled fully.
Marcus Olsson and David Nugent are the only two first team regulars linked with a move away that Rams fans would be happy to see leave.
Marcus Olsson has showed glimpses on occasions of what a good player he can be, but with a long-term injury and Max Lowe’s fantastic pre-season form it seems Olsson will be allowed to leave, once fully fit.
David Nugent is a fan favourite, and still a great player at Championship level, but Marriott arriving, Cameron Jerome's end of season form and Mason Bennett’s emergence could see him leave for first-team opportunities elsewhere.
All things considered, Derby County, Frank Lampard and Mel Morris have had a really strong transfer window thus far.
The sense of optimism around the club is high, unlike previous seasons.
Lampard is attracting better players to the club, and Mel Morris seems to have finally donned his sensible hat in his approach to transfers at the club.