The appointment of Zinedine Zidane to the top job at the Bernabeu this week brought the prospect of Eden Hazard in Real Madrid white a step closer.
As Hazard hobbled off at Selhurst Park, just a few minutes into Chelsea's rain-soaked start to the New Year, there were many watching fans who couldn't help being unsurprised.
The incident, which mirrored that at Leicester's King Power Stadium just before Christmas, left the Blues without their main creative output – and several questions were raised about the commitment of the 24-year-old.
In both cases, scans later revealed only a minor injury, leading to all sort of accusations – generally unfair, as sources close to the player reveal he was legitimately crocked in both cases.
Chelsea fans have perhaps become used to the never-say-die attitude of John Terry, to whom battling-on through almost any injury seems the norm.
In pictures: Eden Hazard's season so far
In Hazard's case, it is just that he has the pain threshold of a mere mortal.
But the die has been cast. And, in the eyes of many, the man who did more than any other player to drag Chelsea to their Premier League crown last season has diminished immeasurably in stature.
The writing has been on the wall for some time with Hazard.
It has always been clear that, as a player, he has ambitions that may be bigger than what can be achieved with Chelsea.
He is incredibly single-minded. Though, at his best revealing himself as a great team player, he generally plays for himself. And for his family too.
He chose Chelsea because they won the Champions League and, through that miraculous achievement, could offer him football on the same great stage the following year.
He wants to win the Ballon d'Or – has made no bones about that – though the question has always existed as to whether he would need to win the Champions League to do that, and if he might need the help of a more domestically dominant side to get to that level.
At Chelsea, as at Lille before, life has been made difficult for him.
At both clubs, he has been repeatedly kicked off the park by opponents. Those who question his commitment to fight through injury should take a look at some of the clips to the calf and ankle he takes multiple times in each game.
Being a Chelsea player - particularly under Jose Mourinho, with whom he had an at times trying relationship – has demanded much of him in terms of physical input.
He has not been permitted to coast through games, as he could do in Ligue 1.
It is a fact of life that for a player like Hazard, the greatest opportunities will always lie with one of Spain's two great behemoths.
As innumerable creative players have learned over the years, signing for Real Madrid or Barcelona brings so much more than automatic trophies and personal riches.
The standard of the vast majority of La Liga means that there are big wide open spaces to play in much of the time, and plenty of goals to score.
When it comes to the showbusiness that football has become, it offers almost guaranteed time in the main spotlight; while the Premier League expects players to fight their way out of the chorus-line.
That is what Hazard craves – to be known as one of the best. Or rather – to be known as the very best of them all.
Zidane has been clear that he wants Hazard – constantly talking him up, mentioning his potential, surmising how it might be achieved.
A linking of the two seems almost inevitable. So when will it happen?
Real don't tend to make big buys in January: they seldom need it based on domestic performance; and, like any big club, are rarely keen to spend over the odds on a Champions League cup-tied player who will be available for less in the summer (though money is not really, in truth, an issue).
The way the club is structured also means that the President and Board like to grandstand to supporters in the summer months.
So it seems unlikely that Hazard will be going anywhere before the end of this month. But, come September, those replica shirts that fly off the shelves are surely more likely to be of a white hue than a blue one.
