It is a sobering thought for everyone attached to Manchester United that Bruno Fernandes might not have been at Old Trafford this season.
At the end of last season, club officials told the 31-year-old they would not stand in his way if he wanted to accept a huge offer from Saudi Pro-League club Al Hilal. Fernandes has spoken previously about the "hurt" he felt.
After speaking to his family, he opted to stay, just as Wayne Rooney did after saying he wanted to leave in 2010, when all of Europe's leading clubs coveted him.
"I stayed because I thought I still had something that I can give back to the club," said Fernandes.
"Obviously the Saudi situation, with the money… there was a lot. The good thing I have in my family is that my wife is pretty down to earth like me.
"We're very aware that we don't want to be the richest person in the world. We just want to be the ones that have achieved the dreams they had and live a good life with their kids and trying to be as successful as possible.
"The words of my wife were like, 'have you achieved your dreams? Have you achieved everything you wanted?'.
"And that small thing she said made me understand that she's on the same page as me. Let's keep trying and see where this takes me."
There was also a sense of trying to lift the club from their 15th-place finish last season – the worst since their 1973-74 relegation campaign.
"I didn't want to leave the club at the point where we were struggling," he said.
With a year left on his contract, there is uncertainty over Fernandes' position at the club. Given his performances this season, it would be remarkable if United do not come up with a huge new deal, even if co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is trying to drive down wage costs.
What is certain is Fernandes' determination to lift the biggest trophies remains undimmed.
"I want to win the Premier League," he said. "I want to win the Champions League. I never hide from that."
Listen to the full interview with Bruno Fernandes on The Wayne Rooney Show
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