The seemingly simple case of an England international, a £60million release clause and Tottenham's attempt to sign a Nottingham Forest player has turned out to be far more complex than anticipated.
Spurs were ready to add the acquisition of Morgan Gibbs-White to their £55million purchase of Mohammed Kudus from West Ham and the £5million deal for Kota Takai from Kawasaki Frontale. This would have rounded off a hefty £120million week of transfers, reigniting excitement among supporters following a sluggish start to the transfer window.
However, things took a turn when Forest raised objections over the transfer of the 25 year old England international, bringing proceedings to an abrupt halt. So what exactly transpired, what's next, and how will it all conclude?
Our colleagues at football.London take an in-depth look at the process.
What happened
Gibbs-White's move came as a surprise to the public, although Spurs have long been interested in the former Wolves player behind the scenes. New head coach Thomas Frank had wanted him at Brentford during his time at Wolves and is known to consider the midfielder an ideal fit for his team due to his creativity and energy.
Thus, the approach seemed logical for all involved.
Tottenham Hotspur made their move, and things seemed to be progressing rapidly. However, Nottingham Forest took exception to the proceedings, alleging that an unauthorised approach had been made to their player without their consent.
They also claimed that the confidentiality of Gibbs-White's £60million release clause had been violated, with suggestions that Spurs had offered precisely the amount needed to trigger his release.
Reportedly, Forest ceased all communication with the North London club, bringing everything to a sudden standstill. Having already sold Anthony Elanga to Newcastle for £52million, Nuno Espirito Santo's team were not intending to lose the England midfielder as well in this transfer window.
So where did Gibbs-White fit into all this?
The 25 year old was scheduled for a medical at Tottenham, but sources from various sides of the saga allege that the player never actually left Nottingham to go to Hotspur Way. This was due to Forest's displeasure, and that of their owner Evangelos Marinakis, which was clearly communicated to Gibbs-White and all parties involved.
Given everything that has transpired since then, this is likely a crucial detail. If the midfielder had gone to the Spurs training ground, the situation could have escalated significantly, particularly if Forest have officially stated they did not authorise any progression of the deal.
Gibbs-White was absent from Forest's 0-0 friendly match against Chesterfield on Saturday, as he was among the international players scheduled to return to training this week. The midfielder reported for pre-season at Forest's training ground on Monday morning as planned, a fact the club highlighted by posting his picture on social media.
What action has Forest taken?
It is understood that Forest has now filed a legal complaint regarding Tottenham's approach for Gibbs-White, which the Premier League will be obliged to investigate.
Who is commenting on the situation?
Officially, no one. Neither Forest nor Tottenham have issued any statements on the matter, and when approached by football.london, the Premier League clarified they would not be offering comments or guidance on the ongoing situation.
Given the legal implications, it's understandable that we'll have to wait for the process to unfold.
What happens next?
The next step is to see if an agreement can be reached between all parties involved to resolve this transfer stalemate. There appears to be a general consensus that the deal for Gibbs-White will eventually go through, but Forest's legal complaint will undoubtedly complicate matters and prolong the process.
Gibbs-White, who has two years left on his contract with Forest, is a player the club was eager to keep. Forest may try to extract more money from Tottenham, ask the midfielder to waive any potential bonuses, or seek penalties against the north London club for what they perceive as an unlawful approach.
Much hinges on the legality of how the release clause was activated, and its existence, whether known or not, could pose the biggest issue for the Midlands team.
The longer the situation drags on, the more apprehensive Spurs supporters will become about another club seizing the opportunity to swoop in, although this wouldn't result in additional funds for Forest.
Gibbs-White seemed determined to join Tottenham to work alongside Thomas Frank and reconnect with ex-Forest teammate Brennan Johnson and England peer Dominic Solanke.
Some Forest supporters have concluded that if Gibbs-White is eager to transfer to the Europa League champions, they would prefer him to leave their club, potentially making his departure less contentious at this stage.
Currently, the deal is anticipated to eventually proceed, but Forest will undoubtedly make it challenging for Spurs to poach another one of their crucial players.