The appointment of a new manager at Cardiff City prompted many fans to question whether the door was still ajar for Bobby Reid's return.
After all, the playmaker left Cardiff City Stadium this summer after he believed his style of football conflicted too much with Neil Warnock's philosophy.
He penned a season-long loan to West London on deadline day, but it was understood at the time that his deal would become a permanent one at the end of the season.
While many accepted that would be the case, some wondered if new boss Neil Harris had any say over whether he could put the kibosh on that move becoming final next summer.
However, WalesOnline has learned that there were two conditional clauses in Reid's contract at Fulham which, if met, would see his move become permanent.
The first clause is that he would have to make five appearances for Fulham and that box has certainly been ticked.
The second was that if Fulham were relegated from the Championship then he could return to the Bluebirds. With Fulham tipped by many to be promoted this season and currently sitting in third place, the chances of that happening are slim to none.
So it means, then, to all intents and purposes, both of the conditional clauses in Reid's contract are due to be met and he will become a Fulham player permanently in the summer.
It is also understood that City are set to make money on the deal.
The Bluebirds forked out £8.5m to sign the player from Bristol City in a bid to beef up their forward line for the Premier League campaign.
However, it is thought that the deal will eventually net Cardiff £10m, which will represent a £1.5m profit.
