Sunday marked a year to the day since Dean Henderson joined Nottingham Forest on loan.
Twelve months on, the Reds are still waiting to get him back on a permanent basis. It is not quite at the long-running saga stage just yet, but it is fast getting to that point.
And it would be understandable if Forest soon begin to get a little wary over the potential for it to drag on too long. They cannot afford to wait all summer.
Henderson is a priority target. He impressed during the first half of last season before injury stopped him in his tracks, he was a popular member of the squad and had clearly bought into the club. The level of commitment he demonstrated while sidelined has been well documented.
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Signing him would be an excellent bit of business, particularly if it can be done for a good price. A key position would be solved and there would be no need for the usual integration period generally required for new additions. Henderson would, pardon the pun, fit like a glove.
That he is already well acquainted with Forest means there can be more leeway for hanging on than would perhaps be the case with other targets. The Reds know that if and when he does join, he would slot straight in; that makes things easier if a deal goes through later than hoped.
But Forest have been here before with Manchester United. It was a similar story with James Garner last summer.
After a successful loan spell, United - understandably - wanted to cast their eye over the England Under-21 international before making a decision on his future. The Reds eventually opted to look elsewhere as they needed to make sure their midfield was sorted.
Likewise, this time around, they need to have a No.1 in place. Ideally, well in advance of the start of the campaign. With the players now back for pre-season, that only takes on greater urgency.
All the signs continue to be positive for Henderson returning to the City Ground eventually. But Forest do need to know where they stand. They do not want to be left suddenly scrambling for alternatives if, for whatever reason, United decide they don’t want to let the 26-year-old go.
There is no need to panic just yet. But time can quickly get away; there is little more than a month to go before Steve Cooper’s side head to Arsenal for their opener.
“What a way to start the week,” Henderson posted on Instagram, alongside a picture of his gloves. He is clearly making good progress in his recovery from the thigh problem which required surgery. It would have been an even better start to the week for Forest if that picture had been posted from the Nigel Doughty Academy.
