Manchester United spent four years pursuing a deal for Jadon Sancho before finally bringing the player to Old Trafford in 2021.
Just over two years later, however, and it's possible the England international's contract will be terminated.
Sancho hasn't played for United since effectively branding Erik ten Hag a liar back in September.
Ten Hag said the forward had been left out of his squad for a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal because he wasn't happy with the player's training levels.
Jadon Sancho: Manchester United could terminate the forward's contract at Old Trafford
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Sancho, for his part, then proceeded to blast back at Ten Hag.
The winger didn't take the criticism lightly and snapped, uploading a message on social media that went against his manager's comments.
Ever since, he's been nowhere to be seen when it comes to the United first-team.
Sancho has been banished to training with the reserves, with the forward spending the last quarter of a year going about his business.
At first, there had been hope the situation could be resolved. Given how much time and money United invested in the 23-year-old, surely he'd come back?
Yet as Christmas Day approaches, his time at the club looks over.
It's an open secret that United have been plotting a way to get Sancho off their books, with talk of a loan move arising.
Former club Borussia Dortmund, where the forward enjoyed his best years, have been linked.
As have Barcelona, though the prospect of a temporary move to the Nou Camp looks slim given the club's financial issues.
And Juventus are said to be among Sancho's admirers, too.
Now, however, it's possible Sancho will leave United for free.
Sky Sports say the Red Devils are considering terminating the winger's contract, meaning he could soon be on the market for free.
United have spent millions over the past decade but are still languishing behind the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table.
Even Aston Villa, who have assembled their squad on the cheap in comparison, are above them at present.
United are, however, planning to be more ruthless when it comes to contracts and the sorts of deals they put on the table.
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to stamp his authority right away, with the British billionaire on the cusp of purchasing a 25 per cent stake in the club.
And when it comes to Sancho, his time at United already seems to be over.
It wasn't meant to be like this, especially when you consider the vast effort the club put into securing his signature.
They first tried to acquire Sancho in 2017, when it became clear he'd be leaving Manchester City to pursue regular first-team football.
However, United missed out on that occasion with the trickster choosing to join Dortmund in Germany instead.
Jadon Sancho: Manchester United winger hasn't played for the club since a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal back in September
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After just two years on German soil, the Red Devils again probed the possibility of signing Sancho.
They missed out in 2019, however, with the club unable to woo the youngster due to a lack of Champions League football.
In 2020, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer again pushed for Sancho's arrival believing the winger could take his team in a new, exciting direction.
Yet United were priced out of a deal, with Dortmund demanding around £108million to part ways with their prized asset.
The Red Devils finally got their man in 2021 for £73m instead. With talk of a contract termination now arising, however, all that time and money looks set to be for nothing.
