Aston Villa's swift and slick appointment of Rangers manager Steven Gerrard as successor to the sacked Dean Smith suggests this was a deal that did not require a great deal of persuasion on either side.
Villa chief executive Christian Purslow knows Gerrard well from his time as Liverpool managing director and the club immediately made him their number one target, having had their admiration reaffirmed by his work in Glasgow, winning Rangers' first title in a decade.
Gerrard, meanwhile, had no hesitation in returning to the Premier League with Villa, a club of stability and ambition where he will be guaranteed financial support from owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens.