Deadline day in the January transfer window is rarely different from any other day at Manchester City. They don't like to do business in the winter - however this season has been unlike any other.
City have spent more than £125m on new signings, bringing in three new first-team additions in attack and central defence. Omar Marmoush should bring goals and assists to the frontline, while Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis are future options that could also provide present support in a key position.
But there is still a desire to do more.
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Pep Guardiola has used every press conference in recent weeks to stress how strong City's financial situation is, bringing out his net-spend charts and comparisons to other Premier League clubs. That, he says, gives the Blues freedom to bring forward transfer plans to add depth right away.
And two areas remain unsolved - defensive midfield and full-back. As it stands, City will face Real Madrid potentially with Matheus Nunes at right-back against Vinicius Jr, and with an unfit John Stones against Kylian Mbappe, or Jude Bellingham able to stride through City's struggling midfield.
It seems for both positions, City would rather wait until the summer and get their signings right, rather than rush through an expensive stop-gap on deadline day. Ederson of Atalanta and Andrea Cambiaso at Juventus are admired, but the chances of getting a deal done for either are receding.
But if City could pull a world-class defensive midfielder out of the bag that would definitely represent a dream deadline day. Porto's Nico Gonzalez would fit that brief, but his price tag remains an issue and time is running out to negotiate a price that works for both clubs.
Aside from that, a right-back would be nice but isn't essential, and maybe the best deadline day business could be an exit. Guardiola insists James McAtee has a role to play in the second half of the season, and highlighted the Club World Cup as another tournament where his legs will be needed. But that is six months away and McAtee wants to play now.
Marmoush will likely jump ahead of the academy graduate in the pecking order and Oscar Bobb is back, too. It's not unfair to suggest McAtee is fifth choice in his preferred central attacking midfield position, and with 18-months left on his contract you can understand why an exit would make sense.
City's £63m investment in another player in his position is probably more of an indication of his future at the club than Guardiola's pleas for him to stay. So if a good enough offer came along - as the manager accepted would force City to consider in the final days of the window - then perhaps McAtee would be allowed to leave.
It wouldn't disrupt the squad too much, the all-important net-spend would come down, and City can rebuild their budget for the summer. As sad as it would be to see another academy graduate leave, it would fall into the Cole Palmer category of too good to turn down for a player who barely plays anyway.
Jacob Wright could join Swansea in a permanent deal too - City were not planning for players of his status on the fringes of the squad to leave however they never stand in the way of a player if the right offer comes in and Wright would benefit from regular football above under-21 level.
