In re-signing Cristiano Ronaldo on transfer deadline day, Manchester United secured the return of perhaps the most talented player to have donned the red shirt.
Some might argue that Ronaldo wasn't at United for long enough during his first spell at the club to be classed among the club's greatest-ever players.
Ryan Giggs spent 23 years at Old Trafford and is United's most-decorated player of all-time, while Bobby Charlton's Reds career spanned 17 years. Both won European Cups — Giggs clinching two — but in terms of his impact, Ronaldo is right up there.
From 2006 until 2009 he was the Premier League's best player and, although United would win two Premier League titles and reach a Champions League final in the four years following his move to Real Madrid, his stardust was missed.
Ronaldo is expected to make his second debut against Newcastle on Saturday, after he began quarantining in Manchester early following his release from the Portugal squad last week.
Had he not been booked against Ireland, and subsequently suspended for Portugal's game against Azerbaijan on Tuesday night, his five-day isolation period would have extended beyond the game against Newcastle. The UK government rejected United's request for Ronaldo to forego a quarantine period.
If and when Ronaldo takes to the field this weekend, he will join a select group players who have featured for United across two separate spells in his career (not including loans).
Among them are Mark Bosnich, George Best and Les Sealey. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, too, technically played for United across two separate spells after re-signing as a free agent in 2017 following his season-ending knee injury earlier in the year.
But an even smaller group can proclaim to have enjoyed successful second spells with the club. Mark Hughes won several trophies after returning from Barcelona in 1988, including two league titles, two FA Cups and a Cup Winners' Cup.
Paul Scholes came out of retirement in January 2012, seven months on from what was meant to be his swansong appearance in the Champions League final loss to Barcelona at Wembley. United were pipped to the title in the season of Scholes' return, but they reclaimed their crown the following year.
And in 2016, United secured Paul Pogba's return from Juventus. The fee United paid for Pogba was initially used as a stick to beat him with but he has won two trophies back at the club and over the last year he's emerged as one of the team's most crucial players.
Few doubt that Ronaldo will be a success, and on a two-year deal — despite his mammoth wages — the move is relatively low risk, particularly given the additional commercial clout he brings with him.
Ronaldo will be hoping his United return is less Mark Bosnich, and more Mark Hughes.
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