Steven Caulker faces the inevitable return to QPR and the Championship slog if they can't find someone to fork out close to £5 million for the central defender - and even then they stand to take a hit.
Rangers paid close to a reported £8m for the Cardiff City defender in July 2014 on a four-year contract, and there were plenty envious Hoops had secured a top talent who missed not a single game for the Bluebirds the previous season.
But things for the Feltham born-and-bred player have gone bottoms up since.
In fact, the England international has made almost as many headlines off the pitch as on it.
The club had to vigorously deny he was involved in a dust-up at a 2014 Christmas party but admitted he suffered a head wound. In May last year, there was a reported altercation at the O2 Arena during a concert.
Then in October, he was fined £1,000 for a public order offence at a night club in Esher, close to where he lives in Woking.
But on the pitch, the player heavily involved in African charity work has suffered an arid 12 months.
His loan to Southampton amounted to only eight appearances, ironically the last of which was a 6-1 defeat to Liverpool in December 2015 - his next port of call.
But pickings were even leaner at Anfield where he made just three outings in red - the last in a 0-0 FA Cup draw with West Ham in January.
