As late as this week, Nick Cox was confining talk of his exit to a small circle.
After nine years at Manchester United, Cox is heading for a new challenge at Everton where the prospect of becoming technical director and being given the scope to map out a brighter future for the Toffees was too good to turn down.
There had been similar offers to leave before, from English clubs and from some on the continent, but the feeling was different after he was headhunted by Everton.
Figures at Everton were unimpressed that news of Cox’s arrival, which is yet to be inked officially but is understood to be a formality, had leaked out.