The summer transfer window opened on Wednesday but Manchester United and Erik ten Hag had been laying the foundations long before.
United enjoyed a successful first campaign under the Dutchman, winning the Carabao Cup before securing a top-four finish and a place in next season's Champions League.
But rather than the summit, those achievements should merely be the beginning. Ten Hag will oversee a summer of major investment as he builds a squad fit to compete for both domestic and European honours - including a Premier League title push.
Who will sign the cheques remains to be seen, with the takeover process still dragging on and both Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim waiting with bated breath.
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But Ten Hag has little time to mull over those finer details. The Reds boss has long been expected to sign a world-class goalscorer, and last summer's pursuit of Frenkie De Jong suggests he will return for a technical midfielder.
But issues throughout the campaign have highlighted other areas that need improving on, most notably in goal. David De Gea won the Premier League's Golden Glove but endured a season strewn with errors. The 32-year-old is in the final weeks of his contract, albeit talks over a new short-term deal have been ongoing for some time.
De Gea's future notwithstanding, Ten Hag is keen to add competition in that area and a shot-stopper with more quality in possession. It's a position that has become increasingly important for the summer window, and Gary Neville had made it a priority.
"You have got to start with a centre forward and a goalkeeper," he told the Metro earlier this week. "If you don’t have those two positions fixed in a football team you are massively struggling.
"Manchester United are massively struggling particularly up front but it has come to the time where they have to get a top goalkeeper. That Cup final [against City] said it to us all. I don’t like mentioning it too much but the second goal shouldn’t have gone in the back of the net.
"The reality of it is, David de Gea has had a great career at Manchester United, he has been a fantastic goalkeeper. But now is the time for him to be challenged and get someone in to be that no1.
"But you can look at midfield as well. There is a problem where they have got two players who have got legs who aren’t good enough on the ball and two good enough on the ball who haven’t got the legs.
"I still think the composition of that midfield is not right so they need to sort that out. You can have one player who maybe can’t get about but he [ten Hag] wants to play through the midfield with technical players and he can’t do that with the players that he’s got there."
It's a view that is echoed among one of Neville's former teammates, with Roy Keane - who has been vocally critical of De Gea this season - urging Ten Hag to prioritise replacing the Spaniard and adding goals.
"They need a new goalkeeper and world-class striker, I'm sick of saying it!" Keane told ITV Sport. "De Gea's not good enough, he is not going to be the one to take United back to winning trophies."
United are interested in strengthening both areas of the pitch, with a large chunk of this summer's budget set aside for a No.9. Harry Kane has long been the prime target, but the club are working under the assumption that Tottenham will not sell their talisman.
Other options are of serious interest, the likes of Victor Osimhen, Rasmus Hojlund and Randal Kolo Muani all on the radar.
As goalkeepers go, Inter Milan's Andre Onana - who played with Ten Hag at Ajax - fits the bill, as do Brentford's Dady Raya and Diogo Costa of Porto.
However the Reds will face stiff competition in that area, with both Tottenham and Chelsea also eyeing a new shot-stopper. Spurs are said to have agreed personal terms with Raya but are unwilling to meet Brentford's £40million valuation, while Mauricio Pochettino's side are interested in Onana.
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