From a certain angle it seems clear Antoine Griezmann has been trying his hardest to force through a move from Atletico Madrid to Manchester United.
Griezmann's behaviour looks similar to anyone who has followed previous summer sagas, such as Paul Pogba's United move for a world record £89.3 million last summer. Jose Mourinho and his players have also been doing their part, talking about what a great player the France international is.
All that remains is for the Old Trafford club to let Atletico know they are triggering his €100m release clause, and the deal can get done.
But that might not necessarily be the case. From another perspective Griezmann's media assault this week might have had another target. Those close to Atletico are wondering if their team's best player is putting pressure on the board to spend big this summer.
Griezmann's camp have been happy to have the word out there that they are considering a move. His advisor Eric Olhats went public in early April to say United, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea and Barcelona had all made enquiries.
The player has been making contradictory comments over his plans too. He says how much he enjoys playing for Atletico and loves their fans, but also suggests he is attracted by the chance to win more trophies at a bigger club.
Such uncertainty continued this week when he told TV show Quotidien he had a six out of 10 chance of completing a move to Old Trafford this summer, while his odds of staying at Atletico were supposedly seven.
Possibly the most telling comments came on Spanish radio show El Larguero where he suggested Atletico chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin needed to give him concrete reasons to stay.
"I really like it here," Griezmann said. "Now Miguel Angel must speak with my agent. I remain at Atletico because I am happy, just the same as the day I joined. I want trophies, to win things, that is why I came here."
This chimed almost exactly with what coach Diego Simeone has been saying since Atletico were knocked out of the Champions League in the semifinals by Real Madrid; a fourth successive elimination at the hands of their richer neighbours. The Argentine said the team needed to take the "next step to keep improving," which was widely assumed to mean the club's board providing funds to sign top players this summer.
Before last weekend's final La Liga game, Simeone was at it again, saying he would set out some objectives when sitting down with Atleti chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin and sporting director Andrea Berta before heading off on his holidays.
"Obviously we will look for the best for the club and for everyone," he said.
"The base is there, solid, with six years competing in an extraordinary way. The tremendous stadium we enter in September will make further demands, we need to all take another step to match it."
Simeone said after that emotional last game for the club at the Calderon that he could not leave the Atletico fans. But he cut his contract short last summer so has just 12 months left, with that agreement coming after he had almost left following the agonising 2016 Champions League final defeat to Madrid in Milan.
Both Griezmann and Simeone realise Atletico cannot continue to compete at the top level based around hard work and commitment. During last summer's meeting with Gil Marin in Buenos Aires, it was reportedly agreed to make a huge effort to get Diego Costa to return from Chelsea. PSG striker Edinson Cavani is also a long-time target, and it was interesting to hear Griezmann mention the Uruguay centre forward during that El Larguero chat.
Whether Atletico can afford to aim so high, especially as they pay for the move to their new Wanda Metropolitano home, is uncertain. A €40m move for Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette is in the works, but even that depends on the Court of Arbitration for Sport lifting a FIFA-imposed transfer ban. Meeting the salary demands of a top striker like Costa or Cavani, as they enter the latter stages of their careers, looks a big ask. The team also needs a new physically imposing all-round midfield player, while the squad has gaps at full-back and on the wings.
Atletico's hierarchy are unlikely to allow themselves to be pressurised into any moves they do not wish to make. Club president Enrique Cerezo almost dared United to go as far as Griezmann's €100m clause this week, and he knows they have survived while cashing in on Sergio Aguero, Radamel Falcao and Costa over the last decade. Atletico legends close to the club, like Kiko Narvaez and Milinko Pantic, questioning the Griezmann's comments and commitment to the cause this week is also a sign of things potentially turning.
So it looks like both sides are involved in a high stakes bluffing game. Griezmann and Simeone are trying to use their leverage to get the club to give them more top talent. Gil Marin and Cerezo need to keep balancing the books, always a precarious task at Atletico, and maintain the fans onside ahead of their stadium move.
Griezmann has said he hopes to get everything sorted within the next few weeks. And talks behind the scenes are likely very different from what we see and hear in public. This summer saga could run a long time yet.