Sandro Tonali was mocked up in a Newcastle United shirt on the front page of La Gazzetta dello Sport with AC Milan observers resigned to him leaving Italy.
On a remarkable, whirlwind day of transfer activity 23-year-old Tonali watched on from the Italy Under-21 training camp in Romania as things played out. Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth was spotted in Milan as the midfielder was told of an offer of personal terms in principle.
Milan have briefed journalists that Tonali said "yes" to the deal but it now depends on whether the Serie A giants can agree a price of around £70million with Newcastle. If they can it will tick the box of "marquee signing" which Eddie Howe hinted of in his final pre-game press conference of the season.
For Tonali is the player that has just helped Milan to the semi-finals of the Champions League and to fourth place in Serie A. He has the exact calibre and profile that Newcastle are looking for. On the front page of Corriere dello Sport it simply read: "Tonali - Premier League."
Newcastle are now at the final steps of the deal and while it is effectively not done yet, it is heading in the right direction. There is a shock factor to the deal in many ways.
Not many Milan supporters expected Tonali to leave his beloved Rossoneri but the offer of personal terms to the midfielder is an offer of a lifetime. With Tonali's agent also swiftly providing Milan with a replacement in Davide Frattesi of Sassulolo it has turned into a transfer saga for reporters in Italy.
Newcastle's backroom team could quite easily complete the medical and the formalities of the deal in Romania too. Remember Bruno Guimaraes' transfer was pushed through while the player was on international duty in Brazil.
In some ways that will be the more straight-forward part. It now boils down to the transfer fee and deal structure.
