Atlético Madrid looked to be closing in on a deal with Tottenham Hotspur for club captain Cristian Romero this summer. Then Barcelona and Arsenal muscled their way into the negotiations, and everything changed.
Romero and Tottenham had already agreed that his time with the club would end this summer, a departure that could also push Spurs to speed up contract renewal talks with Dutch defender Micky van de Ven, according to "TEAMtalk".
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Talks between Romero and Atlético had gone smoothly. The two parties reached agreement over personal terms, and the clubs edged closer to a fee.
Atlético stepped things up over the past 48 hours, having finalised the exits of full-backs Nahuel Molina to Roma and Matteo Ruggeri to Aston Villa, deals that handed the Spanish club some financial breathing room.
Los Rojiblancos want this one done, yet Romero's representatives and intermediaries have kept talking to other interested clubs. Among them sit Spurs' fiercest rivals, Arsenal.
The Gunners have form for signing Tottenham players, none more infamous than Sol Campbell's switch across north London in 2001.
Mikel Arteta wants to reinforce his defence after William Saliba picked up a back problem that could keep him out until the end of the year.
Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa remains one of the options on Arsenal's list, but the club has also sounded out Romero, making contact with his representatives.
Outright refusal
Tottenham, though, are digging in. Sources inside the club told "TEAMtalk" the board has "no intention" of even entertaining a deal with Arsenal.
Three years remain on Romero's contract, so Spurs hold all the cards on his future, and they have no desire to strengthen one of their biggest domestic rivals.
Arsenal's interest has not turned into direct talks with Tottenham, and the intermediaries have told the club's board plainly that a deal on those terms simply cannot happen.
Barcelona enter the race
Now Barcelona have surfaced as a serious contender, especially after moving close to loaning Uruguayan defender Ronald Araújo to Liverpool.
The Catalans are also weighing up several departures, among them Ferran Torres, Marc Casadó, Tomás Marqués and Roony Bardghji, which could clear both squad space and budget for a move on Romero.
Atlético know all about the threat from Barcelona. They remain confident of getting it done, driven by Diego Simeone's determination to land the Argentine defender.
The Madrid club wants to fast-track talks with Tottenham in the coming days, wary of Barcelona or anyone else swooping in to derail their plans.
For now, Atlético Madrid lead the race. But the arrival of the Blaugrana, and Arsenal's audacious attempt to sign the Tottenham captain, has thrown Romero's future wide open.