The deal to sign Yannick Bolasie on loan from Everton last summer was, in the minds of senior figures at Middlesbrough, done.
Bolasie had travelled up to the North East with his wife, the couple were taken for dinner by club officials, stayed overnight and were given a tour of the training ground in Hurworth the following morning.
It was a deal that appeared to suit both Boro and Everton. Everton were contracted to pay the talented winger £72,000 a week. Boro, as a Championship club operating under strict EFL financial regulations, said they could pay a third of it.
The Championship isn't immune to financial madness that is commonplace in the top flight
Everyone seemed happy. Until, that is, Boro received a rather apologetic telephone call from Goodison Park. Aston Villa had agreed to pay the full £72,000 a week plus bonuses, so Bolasie was off to Birmingham.
Last August, Tony Pulis tried to bring other players to the club in a bid to push for promotion, while adhering to owner Steve Gibson's request to cut costs that had spiralled under the previous manager, Garry Monk.
Martyn Waghorn was also a target and, again, Boro thought they had a fighting chance of signing the former England Unde- 21 forward. He was on £8,000 a week at Ipswich. Boro were prepared to double his money - but he ended up at Derby County instead.
The pursuit of Premier League riches means the Championship is far from immune to the financial madness commonplace in the top flight.
Yannick Bolasie came close to joining Middlesbrough but ended up at Villa instead
Talking to clubs this week, there are tales of seven-figure demands from players' parents, similarly massive agents' fees and seven-figure loan payments.
In the end, one point separated Boro from Derby in the table, with Villa a further two points ahead, but Boro missed out on a place in the play-offs while Villa and Derby now have the opportunity to make that final step to the promised land when they meet at Wembley on Monday.
It has come at a cost that will feel very expensive indeed for the loser. As Villa boss Dean Smith said, they have two
