Cristiano Ronaldo's revelation that he wants to leave Real Madrid dropped on the transfer market like a bomb, paralyzing Europe's top clubs and a number of their biggest deals.
As the likes of Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain formulate their plans, the giants of the continent look nervously across at one another, waiting to see who will have the chutzpah to launch an official bid for the Portuguese star.
Alvaro Morata to United is one mega deal that is progressing in its own right and appears to be imminent, irrespective of Ronaldo's fate.
However, Los Blancos may foresee a sudden vacuum of talent in their frontline and pull the plug on the Spaniard's exit. The transfer of James Rodriguez has been shelved for the moment, particularly for PSG as the Ligue 1 realise that they cannot afford to sign both to Colombian and Ronaldo due to Financial Fair Play.
Finally, there is Kylian Mbappe. It's thought that Real selling their best player would seemingly inevitably result in forcing through the capture of the Monaco wonderkid and the finances do add up.
And if Morata were to leave, Real might need another striker as well as Mbappe, although even that would have to wait on Ronaldo and the conclusion of this sudden saga.