Trent Alexander-Arnold's announcement that he is leaving Liverpool at the end of the season confirmed what had seemed an inevitability for months.
And even though his next destination was not mentioned in his emotional farewell video, it is an open secret that he will join his friend and England colleague Jude Bellingham at Real Madrid.
Alexander-Arnold deserves credit for clarifying his future now. He could have taken the easy way out and left Liverpool supporters hanging until after the Premier League title victory parade around the city on 26 May.
Instead, the 26-year-old has made his decision public with two home games left - the first against Arsenal, and the second on the final day against Crystal Palace, when Liverpool will lift the trophy to celebrate their 20th English league title.