Wouldn't it be ironic if the midfield answer Manchester United were looking for was right in front of them all this time?
For years now it's been clear that United have been lacking in the middle of the park. For all the good moments and performances Scott McTominay and Fred have had individually, they've never consistently made a dominating partnership, but the other options haven't been any better (or so it was thought).
Nemanja Matic still has something to offer but is slow and can't play well more than once a week. Donny van de Beek hasn't been able to settle and was jettisoned out on loan in January and Paul Pogba has always lacked the defensive discipline to play a holding role.
So, instead, United have had to largely persevere with the 'McFred' tandem. While both do bring a lot of energy and can have moments of real quality - which is happening on a much more frequent basis in Fred's case - they lack the midfield attributes that a club of United's ambitions needs.
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Their range and standard of passing aren't the best, they are unable to control games by dictating its tempo, they are not the most assured in possession, are often dragged out of position and also aren't that solid defensively, either. They are both all-action midfielders that can do a lot of the hard graft in the middle of the pitch, which is a fine service to provide and is definitely needed from time to time, but they just aren't at the level to compete with the best in Manchester, let alone the Premier League. Let alone Europe.
Thankfully, after years of overlooking the problem in favour of lavishly spending on superfluous forwards, the club appears to have accepted that signing a midfielder finally needs to happen. It's understood that a new defensive midfielder is the priority this summer and that Declan Rice is the top target.
The West Ham stalwart is exactly the sort of player that would fix all of United's problems in the middle of the park. He can do it all. Tackle. Intercept. Pass short. Hit it long. Carry the ball. Score. Lead. He is the player that United have been hunting for at least half a decade and would be the best signing they have made in twice that time if they pull it off.
But doing so will be no easy feat. If he isn't already then Rice really is on the verge of becoming an elite midfielder and with that comes elite competition. It would not be surprising at all if clubs currently of much higher standing than United begin to get linked as summer gets closer. Manchester City and Liverpool could do a lot worse than to sign Rice, even if their priorities are elsewhere, and who's to say a club from mainland Europe wouldn't be interested?
Chelsea are thought to be United's current biggest rivals but the uncertainty surrounding the club's future following sanctions on owner Roman Abramovich has cast their ability to spend such big money - or any money - into doubt. But it's not hard to see other clubs making their interest in Rice known and with the way United are going at the minute they could be far from the most attractive option.
There is a very real possibility that United may miss out on Rice and if that occurred it would be a great shame. But it may not be a disaster as they already have James Garner.
That's not to say that Garner is anywhere near the level of Rice but he has certainly shown a lot of the same qualities. The United academy graduate first arrived in the senior United team three years ago now and even then he looked tidy in his brief cameos, with one excellent turn against Norwich City, in particular, sticking in mind.
Now at 21, he has been maturing on his second loan spell at Nottingham Forest. He shone in the second half of last season at the City Ground resulting in a clamour for his return and he has been a near-ever present for the whole campaign. His form since the end of January has been especially impressive, with two goals and five assists in 11 games as he continues to grow and insert his influence on matches.
Garner has been especially crucial in Forest's FA Cup run to the quarter-finals. They eliminated Arsenal and Leicester on their way to facing Liverpool on Sunday. Though the run came to an end, it was a spirited cup tie that only ended in a narrow 1-0 defeat.
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The United loanee was excellent and didn't look out of place competing against the likes of Fabinho, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the slightest. At one point he cut the Liverpool defence in half with a through ball that could have ended in a goal if the forward on the other end didn't dive for a penalty instead.
In an exciting young Forest side, Garner has been one of the standouts and his continued growth should be exciting for all connected to United. Rice should still be the priority this summer, but Garner has shown that he deserves a chance to man United's midfield himself.
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