Robbie Brady is edging closer to the Carrow Road exit door in a manner befitting his disappointing time on board the Norwich City roller-coaster.
The left-sided Irishman was the object of Alex Neil's affections following promotion back to the Premier League in 2015 and the Canaries spent a long, frustrating summer negotiating with Hull City.
Once a deal worth around £7m was finally completed just 10 days before the start of the season, City supporters soon saw why Neil had been keen to sign the former Manchester United trainee.
Brady made a flying start to life in Norfolk and was talked about as being a near-certain winner of the player-of-the-season award come May.
Yet eventually the wide man was edged into second place by Jonny Howson, due to his form tailing off in the second half of the campaign, as he was rotated between a full-back and a winger.
His form ran in tandem with that of his team's and a disastrous post-Christmas run saw the Canaries slide back to the Championship.
That made Brady a prized asset and a valuable potential source of income last summer – putting him very much in the shop window as he travelled to the European Championship.
City supporters watched with interest as Brady and Wes Hoolahan took on the continent's best in France with the Republic of Ireland, with a mixture of irritation and delight.
Goals against Italy and France saw the winger's value continue to rise during the tournament but left Canaries fans wondering why the commitment and fighting spirit on display had faded when on club duty.
Fees upwards of £15m were talked of as the likes of Burnley, Crystal Palace, Sunderland and West Ham were all linked with Brady's services.
Yet the summer transfer window ticked away with no deal concluded and Neil was left with a player with bags of ability but seemingly little motivation to play Championship football.
A fourth goal of the season, from the penalty spot in the 3-1 win over Wolves, looks set to see Brady leave on a high – but leaves fans wondering, what if?
Follow David Freezer on Twitter @davefreezer or on Facebook @DavidFreezer1
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