Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery has reaffirmed that he wanted David Luiz to stay with the French champions this summer but said that the player's mind was made up about a return to Chelsea.
The Spaniard is preparing his players for a return to domestic duty with a Ligue 1 clash at home to AS Saint-Etienne on Friday and the Brazil international's departure has added to the 44-year-old tactician's central defensive headache.
Captain Thiago Silva has returned to training after a hip injury in preseason but has missed a couple of sessions this week and is not certain to feature against Christophe Galtier's men.
Serge Aurier is out with a sprained ankle and Maxwell is a doubt with an issue that has hampered his preparations.
Emery admitted his relief that there will be no more player moves as he feared more situations similar to Luiz's last-minute exit.
"The important thing is that the window is now closed!" the Basque tactician said during a news conference at Camp des Loges ahead of the Saint-Etienne match. "A few other players also had opportunities to leave, so it is better that it is over.
"I wanted [David Luiz], like all of the other big-name players, to stay here. He called me after the Monaco match and then spoke with the club to request their permission. He told me 'coach, I have a good offer and I think that it is best if I leave.' I gave him my opinion.
"The club also asked me for my thoughts and we agreed that if the player wanted to leave and the club could agree a fee with Chelsea, then it would be difficult to keep him."
Talented young central defender Presnel Kimpembe is expected to move up to third in the pecking order behind Silva and Marquinhos after David Luiz's departure, while Aurier is expected to be fourth on that list because of his ability to fill in there in the past.
While the Ivory Coast international is out injured, Thomas Meunier will get his chance to impress after being limited to mainly substitute appearances since a summer move from Club Brugge.
The Belgium international said that David Luiz's exit changes little for him, directly, in terms of a starting role but could benefit him if Aurier spends more time playing in the middle.
"I do not know how the transfer came about, it was the last day of the transfer window," said Meunier, who was already with the Belgium team for the international break. "Did the club really have the chance to react at such short notice?
"Whether it was [David Luiz] who left or another player, when I signed here, I had not intended to play there [central defence] so the transfer changes absolutely nothing for me. As for Serge [Aurier], he is incredibly versatile. He can play right, left and in the middle. I think he will always be on the pitch."
Meunier is in line to make his first competitive start for PSG against Saint-Etienne on Friday night at Parc des Princes.