Raheem Sterling's future has taken another twist after the Manchester City attacker again professed his openness to play abroad, but there is a mitigating factor that may be a stumbling block.
As the 26-year-old continues to battle for first-team starts, the question marks pile up alongside murmurs of friction between Pep Guardiola and the Englishman - rumours that were denied by both men back in March.
Sterling can take solace in remaining a leading star for Gareth Southgate's England but, at club level, he has lost his status as one of Guardiola's dependables and a vital few weeks lie in wait.
Recently, it has been reported that Barcelona would be able to make a January move for Sterling, despite their dire financial situation, while the player himself has made no secret of his admiration for Real Madrid.
Sterling's contract at the Etihad Stadium runs until June 2023 and Ross Jackson and Dom Farrell discussed a player at a career crossroads on Friday's City Is Ours Facebook live.
Wanting to play in Europe is one thing, but that being possible for a player of Sterling's status and earnings in the current climate is quite something else.
DF: "At a time where English players are more desirable in terms of all the clubs in Europe wanting them because they're of a high technical standard... maybe you can be like Tammy Abraham and reboot your career at Roma in that second tier of the European elite.
"If you're Sterling and you're on the wages he's on at City, where do you go?
"He said he'd like to play in Spain. Barcelona are supposed to be interested but have no money, Real Madrid are all about 'Project Mbappe' and seeing where that lands. It's interesting that he mentioned France yesterday. I don't think he's talking about going to play for Marseille or Lille - it would have to be PSG.
"So for players like Sterling who want to play abroad, if you get to a certain level in the Premier League your options are really limited.
"There's a case to be made where maybe it would be worth cutting ties. He's been with City since 2015, he's achieved a lot.
"Things look a bit stale now, but where does he go? It's that thing of the elite footballers now who end up in a bit of a gilded cage. If he wants to go to Spain or France, fine. But I don't see where the clubs are with money to make that happen really, so it's a tricky one."
