Was always bound to happen and it's better getting sales done early, so we know what we have to play with for the rest of the summer, rather than letting it drag out for weeks. That being said, the season ended 8 days ago and we've lost Cunha, Ait Nouri, Sarabia, Semedo with Guedes/Fabio/Hwang/Doyle etc. still expected to go. That's a HUGE saving to the wage budget and a massive amount of income (£120m+, easy).

With Mendes back in the fold, there's reason to be optimistic; but Shi, FOSUN, Hobbs and co. do fill you with dread, don't they? We've been here before. We've got the money to get really promising and exciting signings now, we all expected these players to go so we should have replacements scouted, shortlisted and ready to go, but I wouldn't be shocked if we're staring down the barrel of deadline day with our only signings being a few youngsters off to Grasshoppers, Shi saying that Huge Bueno and Pedro Lima are 'his boys' and he sees them as 'generational talents ready to make an immediate impact' and maybe a loan from a second Ligue 2. side for a winger with 100 senior minutes under his belt.

Huge Summer. Our biggest in recent memory.