Manchester United have the red ribbon in their sights, and if they cross it ahead of the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool, they will play Champions League football next season.
The Premier League has not been a happy hunting ground for the Red Devils in recent years, and last year's 15th-place finish under Ruben Amorim was a new low, aggravated by the salt-to-wound Europa League final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
So many failings, but with Michael Carrick now in interim charge, there's a strong sense that changes have been made under the INEOS regime, and the looming summer transfer window poses the perfect opportunity to reinforce this strong position.
Whether Carrick will keep hold of the reins is uncertain right now, but Casemiro is set to leave when his contract expires and Man United are going to need a top-class replacement at number six.
Man Utd ready to sign a Casemiro upgrade
Casemiro, 34, has been a dutiful servant for Manchester United, and it's interesting to see him improve during the later stages of his Premier League career.
There's not much to say about it. INEOS have waived the option to extend the Brazilian veteran's deal by one year, and given the finances involved and the need for change, that's understandable.
However, it's now crucial that the Old Trafford side make the right call in replacing him, and while Premier League stars like Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Carlos Baleba have been earmarked, there's one man above all others who must be prioritised.
According to Sky Sports, Manchester United have chosen Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson as their dream choice to bolster the Old Trafford midfield this summer. However, neighbours Manchester City are also keen, and separate reports claim Pep Guardiola's side hold the lead in the race.
The England international has emerged as one of the best in the business, and he won't come cheap. In fact, he's been valued at £100m by the Tricky Trees.
Casemiro is on the way out, and the Red Devils need a new six. A range of options have been tagged, but Anderson might just be the pick of the bunch.
Why Anderson is the perfect Casemiro upgrade
Anderson isn't the only one on Jason Wilcox's shortlist at Manchester United: Newcastle's Guimaraes and Tonali are both admired, and both are likely to come at a similar cost as Anderson.
It's one of the three, then. While Eddie Howe's lieutenants are more accomplished than Anderson, 23, there's a reason that the Magpies manager has been vocal in his regret at selling him to Forest, and his desire this season to bring him back to St. James' Park.
Anderson has outgrown Forest, in a way. He is well placed to star alongside Declan Rice in the England midfield at this summer's World Cup, his powers drawing him to the top of the Premier League tree too.
Man United would not only upgrade on the ageing Casemiro with Anderson charging the engine room, but they'd also land a better deal than investing in Tonali or Guimaraes, the former of whom has ebbed and flowed on Tyneside and the latter turning 29 in November.
Anderson is young and still unrefined, and yet he has already been described as "one of the best midfielders in the Premier League" by England manager Thomas Tuchel.
He is also more accomplished as a number six than Tonali, whose elegance and intelligence work well as an adjunct to the more orchestrated Guimaraes at the heart of the pitch.
Is Anderson better than Guimaraes right now? There's certainly a case to be made there.
In truth, Guimaraes probably boasts a slightly more expansive range of passing. But whether the Brazilian's creativity needs to be prioritised when Bruno Fernandes is riding the crest of a gargantuan wave is questionable, for sure.
In Anderson, Carrick (or whoever is given the permanent job) would find an all-action midfielder with dynamic athletic and physical properties, one whose potential is still untapped - and yet he is already rivalling someone like Guimaraes.
Would it be a gamble? Anderson would cost a lot of money, but he's proved himself over two successful years at Forest, first leading a high-flying outfit punching above their weight and then keeping the City Ground afloat as it threatens to sink.
The best is yet to come, and Wilcox needs to make sure it comes together at the Theatre of Dreams.