Manchester United completed their whirlwind swoop for Marcel Sabitzer within 11 chaotic hours on January deadline day and - inside an equally frantic 90 minutes on Thursday night - the Austrian dropped the biggest hint yet he could be perfect to solve two lingering concerns.
It was only when Andy Carroll thundered into a reckless challenge on Christian Eriksen during the FA Cup tie with Reading that United were forced into the market. Sabitzer was earmarked, pursued and signed within a blink of the eye as Erik ten Hag once again underlined his squad-building savvy.
From that point on, the blueprint was simple; to team Sabitzer with Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes as United continued their charge, at that juncture, on four fronts. However, due to injury setbacks and Casemiro seeing red not once but twice, they had to wait 10 weeks for that opportunity.
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Sabitzer clocked up his 13th appearance for United against Sevilla and more than made his mark with a brace before the late drama unfolded. Giving up a two-goal lead as well as losing first-choice centre-backs Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane to injury drummed up more questions than answers for Ten Hag.
However, it will not be lost on the intuitive Dutchman what Sabitzer did with Old Trafford watching as United keep one eye on the upcoming window. With another central midfielder on the shopping list - as well as Harry Kane - that first player might already be in the building and a familiar source has helped unearth him.
"He makes the players around him better," declared former United captain Roy Keane when showering praise on Casemiro earlier in the season and not for the only time. "That's what great players do."
Casemiro has made an astonishing impact at Old Trafford and beyond this season - not only with his colossal individual displays - but with how he has helped shape the engine room around him. Suspended for seven out of the last 10 top-flight games, three defeats plus the drop in quality and control has been rather telling.
So too the freedom he granted Sabitzer on Thursday night. It must not be ignored amid the high-octane and, quite frankly, nervy scenes that followed to leave Europa League progression on tenterhooks.
Having opened his account against Fulham in the FA Cup and underlined his form with another international brace for Austria during the March break, Sabitzer has built on steady yet encouraging early displays, adding those two further goals against Sevilla to set United on their way. It was the first time he could call upon that man Casemiro for support rather than having to stand in for him.
With Casemiro back available, Sabitzer looks more at home in an advanced role. Between him, Casemiro and Fernandes, there is a perfect blend across the midfield axis - even though Fernandes has had to sacrifice a little in an attacking sense to benefit the team.
That is something he has done before with outings on the right flank, but this particular tactical tweak makes more sense than that experiment ever did. Fernandes can help dictate from deep, while Sabitzer can maintain the same goal threat which, previously, might have been lost.
United want a dynamic midfielder this summer as well as players to help ease the burden on Marcus Rashford from a goalscoring perspective. Sabitzer can do both.
With question marks over his Bayern future, a would-be fee of around £15million has been mooted for him. With funds needed to strengthen other areas - such as up front, right-back and perhaps finding adequate defensive cover for Casemiro - chasing Sabitzer permanently makes sense financially and from a playing perspective.
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