Liverpool midfielder Gini Wijnaldum can sign a pre-contract agreement with another club outside of England from January 1 ahead of the 2020/21 campaign, should he not be tied down to an extension at Anfield before then.
Having already played 18 times for Liverpool this season, accumulating more minutes on the field than any other Reds player apart from Andy Roberton, the decision for most fans would be a simple one.
But there is much more to the situation than simply whether or not Wijnaldum is a good enough player to play for Liverpool over the next few seasons - clearly, the answer to that specific question is 'yes'.
Jurgen Klopp has made clear publicly that he would like to keep Wijnaldum at the club, the Dutchman is a big part of the Reds' dressing room, and there is no suggestion from the player that he is desperate to move on.
But there is a much bigger picture to consider for sporting director Michael Edwards and those in charge at the top.
Next summer, as things stand, Liverpool will have nine first-team players, including Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, who will have just two years left to run on their contracts.
Fabinho is almost certain to be offered a new deal at some point, as he is the youngest of the nine players on the list and is a crucial player whether in defence or midfield.
But many of the others are approaching 30, or already at that mark, and while that is not a bad thing in terms of their performance levels, the long-term strategy for the renewal of Klopp's squad must be considered.
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"I always find it quite interesting when it is talked about as if 'why would Wijnaldum want to leave Liverpool?'," Mark Baker said on the Post-Game podcast after Liverpool beat Wolves over the weekend.
"But you can't underestimate how much of a club decision this may be in terms of not being willing to offer a bumper contract to a player at that age, with a squad who are growing older at the same age profile.
"They know that they have to sacrifice players in that age range and maybe Wijnaldum, with the midfield options in that area, would be the one - even though he plays every single match."
While Wijnaldum is clearly crucial to the team right now, that does not mean a new contract should necessarily be offered to the 30-year-old.
If new deals were to be offered to all nine of those with just over two years to run, plus Wijnaldum, Liverpool would have an increased wage bill - as all the players would be in line for improved terms - and a squad that would age at the same time over the next few seasons.
Instead, a freshening up of the squad must be done gradually over the next few transfer windows, slowly transitioning from one successful crop to the next.
In an ideal world, Wijnaldum could stay, but a midfield containing him, Henderson, Thiago Alcantara and James Milner could see Liverpool almost needing to replace all four at once.
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Henderson, though, is club captain, and Thiago has only just arrived, while Milner, who turns 35 next month, is almost in a category of his own in terms of a replacement plan as he is only a sporadic starter.
There could be way in which Wijnaldum can be tempted to stay for another season or two, and there remains a chance that the Dutchman could extend his time on Merseyside.
But if he does leave, there will be a well-thought-through transfer strategy behind any such decision.
