After securing his shock return to West Ham United, the brief for David Moyes couldn't be clearer.
Having seen their form nosedive under previous boss Manuel Pellegrini, the Scotsman has now been tasked with giving the stuttering Hammers a much-needed shot in the arm to ensure Premier League survival.
Things have started brightly, with Moyes beginning his second reign with a 4-0 win over Bournemouth, but there's clearly plenty of work still to do.
And, with the January window now open, the former Everton and Manchester United boss will surely be keen on strengthening his squad.
When quizzed on potential transfer activity, he remained coy, stating: “We would like to add to the squad but we need to get the right players."
According to reports, one of those players could well be none other than Joe Allen.
The Daily Express has already suggested that Moyes could be preparing an £8m bid to bring the Welshman back to the top table of English football.
Could this be the breakthrough to end Allen's difficult stint in the Potteries?
Here's where things currently stand.
What's Allen's situation?
On the face of it, not a lot's changed.
The player himself would obviously like to make a return to the Premier League, particularly ahead of the upcoming European Championships this summer.
Having previously slapped a price tag of around £18m last summer, the growing financial pressures that come with failure to gain promotion back to the Premier League have forced the hand of the Potters, who will now surely have to look at getting Allen's wages off the books sooner rather than later.
Is West Ham's interest real?
It would seem so.
Moyes is understood to be an admirer of Allen and made a bid believed to be around £25m for the midfielder during his first stint as Hammers boss.
It's understood that his admiration for the Welshman hasn't gone away and, given that Allen is likely to be available at a fraction of that previous price, he could well be tempted to push ahead with a move this time round.
Contrary to some reports, it's understood that interest this time around doesn't hinge on the Hammers' attempts to sign Benfica's Gedson Fernandes on loan.
However, transfer activity elsewhere, including the capture of Darren Randolph, may well harm their ability to make a bid acceptable to the Potters, who are still keen to get what they deem to be a fair price.
Are others interested?
Watford, Wolves, Southampton and Newcastle United are among those to have been previously mentioned as possible destinations, and it seems interest from the top flight remains.
A couple of Premier League sides are understood to have made enquiries over a potential loan move with the option to buy at the end of the season, but given their financial situation, Stoke are likely to insist on a permanent, up front, cash deal.
Interest has also come from the continent, as well as China, but Allen himself is believed to be reluctant to explore those avenues due to personal reasons, despite the obvious financial boost that would come from the latter.
From the outside looking in, it seems West Ham are currently the front-runners for his signature, although there are clearly still plenty of ifs and buts to navigate first.
What's likely to happen next?
It all comes down to what Stoke demand.
The noises coming out of last few weeks have suggested that there is a deal to be done should a club offer the right price.
It's still not quite clear what that value is, but the £8m touted as the fee being readied by West Ham may not be too far away.
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