It still feels like a matter of 'when' rather than 'if' Manchester United sign Frenkie de Jong this summer, but for transfer-hungry supporters, this lengthy wait is less than ideal.
United will be making a huge statement of intent should they manage to lure a Dutch international from Barcelona on the back of their worst ever Premier League campaign. Though they can't afford to let the prolonged pursuit distract them from the other issues which still need to be addressed.
An official announcement for De Jong would no doubt send social media into a meltdown, but before too long, attention will once again turn to United's long to-do list before the season starts.
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United were criticised for their one-at-a-time transfer policy under Ed Woodward which, as the name suggests, saw them focus heavily on completing one deal before switching their attention to the next one.
The only real exception was for deals so straightforward to complete that they did not need meticulous planning. For example, on the final day of the window two years ago, when Edinson Cavani, Alex Telles, Amad and Facundo Pellistri were all lured to the club, not that there was much competition for any of them at the time.
United's predicament this summer is that they are trying to stamp their authority as a club that demands respect in the transfer market again and establish a new precedent that does not see them needlessly overpaying for players simply because of their global reputation.
Barcelona insist that United will need to offer a larger upfront fee if they are to get De Jong anytime soon, and while it might seem like a straightforward decision to pay it now and get the deal completed quickly, United know that caving to their demands would reinforce the perception of them being pushovers in the market.
However, it is only a taste of United's own medicine for implementing such a policy themselves when it comes to player sales.
Part of the reason why the club have found it so difficult to shift unwanted players in the last few years has been their reluctance to make a loss on the initial transfer fee they spent on a player.
United almost seem unaware of the depreciation of some of their assets and basically price themselves out of a move because the offers which came in do not reflect good business for the club.
While there has to be an understanding of balancing the books, United need to be ruthless in regards to player retention and realise that selling players for less than they paid not only saves them plenty in wages, but provides a qualitative boost by improving squad harmony.
The club has also been guilty of acting like a business rather than a football club in regards to contract renewals, with a whole host of players offered new terms to protect their long-term market value despite having little, if anything, to offer the first-team set-up.
Despite United pledging to back Erik ten Hag this summer, the new manager knows his squad overhaul must be financed in some part by the sale of players, something made difficult when they are so hard to get rid of.
United's struggles to agree on a transfer fee for De Jong should shed light on their own transfer policy and provide the reality check required to realise they have been in Barcelona's position plenty of times before.
In a summer where United are looking to establish a reputation as shrewd negotiators, they must also ditch the tag of needlessly hoarding their own players as well.
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