Khaldoon Al Mubarak always chooses his words carefully when he addresses Manchester City fans and this year's annual address carried plenty of information about the transfer window.
Speaking six weeks ago, the chairman explained how the club always took a long-term view of the windows and the squad looking beyond a single year.
There is a set profile of player that the club look to bring in of players between 20 and 25 years old that can come in and take their game to the next level under Pep Guardiola; that was evident in the purchases that had been made already in winger Ferran Torres and Nathan Ake.
At the same time, Al Mubarak also contended that sometimes it is necessary to shop outside of that particular window in order to get what is required for the immediate needs of the squad and that more faces would arrive.
“We’ll be sensible and pragmatic about it but we will do what it takes," he said.
“I think you’ve seen when it comes to the two acquisitions we have made, Ake and Ferran Torres, we moved quickly, we knew the players clearly, these were our targets and when the opportunity came, we were able to come in very quickly and swiftly and do that business.
“There are additional players we will be bringing in and we will stick to the plan obviously within the realities of the market that we live in today.”
At a time when City were looking at Kalidou Koulibaly in their priority pursuit of a central defender and an unlikely coup for Lionel Messi, all of the comments stacked up though.
With time running out in the transfer window though, City have only signed one more player.
Ruben Dias is expected to improve the first team as Ake and Torres are, but it is looking unlikely that the Blues will be able to get any more through the door. Attempts to sign a left-back have been hindered by wanting to move Aleks Zinchenko on first, a midfielder was never on the cards despite widespread rumours and a striker search has also been quiet.
If City don't sign anybody else before Monday's 11pm deadline, it can't be said to have gone down as the City chairman expected.
