Summer is fast approaching but reports linking Diego Costa to Chinese Super League side Tianjin Quanjian have already returned.
Costa was heavily linked with the North-East club this past winter, to the point that a heated training ground row with coach Antonio Conte left him out of contention at Chelsea for a few days in January.
But while the end of the window brought some respite, The Sun reported last week that a meeting between the Brazilian, his agent and Chinese officials had taken place, and now Spain's El Larguero are reporting he has signed a pre-agreement with Chelsea with the club set to receive around €90 million for the player.
The numbers are extraordinary -- sailing past the previous Chinese transfer record (Oscar's £60m move to Shanghai SIPG) if confirmed. Despite the calls for a slow down in spending from those high up in the Chinese game, Quanjian do not appear to be heeding the warning.
There can be no doubting that any deal to take the 28-year-old to China would be the biggest yet, not just financially, but also in terms of the shockwaves it would send throughout the game.
Unlike Ramires, Oscar, Hulk, Axel Witsel, or even Carlos Tevez, the Spain international is a current leading star for a top European side. It would be the first occasion such a player has opted to head East since China's efforts to change the football world began.
While there will be no major flow of such elite players to China in the immediate future, the signing of Costa would be a significant moment in the development of the CSL as a force on the world stage.
Indeed, when questioned last month, Quanjian owner Shu Yuhui admitted that his club were being forced to overpay to secure the services of top level players.
"We are working on bringing in more big-name players. We expect the best," Shu told sina.com. "However, the best players want to go to clubs such as Bayern Munich or Real Madrid. Our targeted players are also being chased by these clubs, so we may need to pay more. We are in competition with Bayern Munich and Real Madrid for transfers, so let's wait until June and then we will see."
Quanjian, lying in ninth in the CSL, undoubtedly have big ambitions to transform their club into a significant power in the game both in China and beyond.
Only this winter the herbal remedy company spent big on both Alexandre Pato and Witsel to bolster their squad following ascension to the top flight. In the face of subsequent government advice to slow "irrational" spending, Shu has continued to talk up his side's ability and desire to capture big name players. Of all China's club owners, he is by far the most public about his transfer plans.
"Theoretically speaking, there is no limit on transfer budget in the summer. We can target whoever we want. But on several occasions, our targets are reluctant to join us," Shu told a news conference in February.
"We made an attempt for Pato last year but he is not willing to come because our club was still in second division then. After we get promoted, he came. We also approached Diego Costa and other stars. It remains to be seen who will join us in June but I can assure you that the new players will be on the same level as Costa."
Interestingly, Shu also revealed that a deal had been struck in the winter to sign Monaco forward Radamel Falcao, only for coach Fabio Cannavaro to step in with stylistic concerns over the Colombian's acquisition.
For those at the helm of the nouveau-riche club, footballing concerns appear to not have always been the top priority. As with any of the major stars who have arrived in the country, quality is rarely an issue but the ability to adapt to the demands of life in China and the high on-pitch expectations can prove to be major difficulties -- as in the case of Tevez.
Costa, though, would appear an ideal candidate for success; his combative nature would lend well to prospering in the Middle Kingdom. Yet for all his potential impact on the pitch, his arrival's greatest impact will undoubtedly be in raising the credibility of the league after what has been a rapid ascent to wider repute over the past two years. And he would likely join with a Premier League winners' medal fresh in his possession.
Chinese clubs' route to immediate credibility is invariably seen as best achieved through high levels of spending on big name players. With Evergrande's iron grip on domestic titles still strong after seven years, it is through major acquisitions that others are able to raise their previously non-existent profile internationally.
The signing of Diego Costa would undoubtedly make Quanjian the talk of the CSL this summer and further the club's reputation once again, potentially helping Shu and his company's domestic business ambitions.
Whether that in itself is worth an outlay of €90m (even before considering the player's salary), is something only Shu can decide.