Not so long ago the Turin press were saying Matteo Darmian to Juventus was 95% done and all that was missing was the announcement.
There were even Italian reports of the Manchester United player arriving in Italy for a medical to join Juve.
But as we pointed out through much of the saga, there was a lot of confidence from Turin over the Darmian deal, but not a lot of detail.
It was repeatedly stated Jose Mourinho had given the green light to a deal, not believing Darmian to be an important part his squad, but there was always a lack of financial certainty.
How much would Manchester United ask? What were Juventus willing to pay?
United want €20m, Juve want to pay €15m, and Napoli wait at the window waving €18m.
Everyone wants it sorting out quickly.