It appears that it will only be a matter of time before Jadon Sancho joins Manchester United, four years after the club first inquired about him before to his departure from the other half of Manchester.
Given that Borussia Dortmund is willing to sell their star winger, his transfer appears to be an issue of 'when' rather than 'if.' The only remaining hurdle is agreeing on a sufficient financial offer.
It's a situation United found themselves in not long ago, most notably in their pursuit of Leicester City captain Harry Maguire, who eventually joined after a drawn-out process in which Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side tried to reduce the asking price before succumbing to Leicester's demands.
United will be trying to avoid a similar situation this summer, and completing a deal fast may be the ideal way for new football director John Murtough to make a good first impression on supporters in his new post.
Murtough has been a key figure behind the scenes for the club in recent years, dating back to his appointment under David Moyes in November 2013. The Liverpudlian was involved in United's reform of the academy and recruitment department, and now that he is the public face of the club's transfer policy, he will be trying to stamp his mark on the first team this summer.
An early piece of business this summer, backed by Matt Judge in his new role as director of football negotiations, might be the first hint of discernible progress since the reshuffle and telling evidence that the club is learning from its mistakes.
It's fair that United wants to pay as little as possible upfront and pad the overall price of a Sancho deal with performance-related add-ons, but there comes a point when the club's footballing needs outweigh the financial ones.
United left their business late in the window last summer, and it's no surprise that deadline-day recruits Alex Telles and Edinson Cavani took some time to adjust. Solskjaer's preparations for next season would be greatly aided by having new faces at the club for the start of the pre-season.
It's no coincidence that teams that get the majority of their business done early are usually the most well-run, with deadline day deals sometimes spotlighting recruitment difficulties at clubs that are left paying a premium for players as the transfer season closes.
Given that United knows exactly what it will take to sign Sancho this summer, there is little reason for them to waste time wrangling over a cost; instead, they should strike while the iron is hot and indicate their ambitious objectives with a world-class signing as soon as possible.
Dortmund earned a reputation as tough negotiators a year ago, and it appears that United will have to sacrifice their own stance if they want to get a deal done fast before focusing on signing a new center-back.
From a corporate standpoint, caving into Dortmund's demands may not make sense, but after years of ignoring the club's football requirements, it's time to pay the price and close the deal.
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