There was a time when Manchester United seemed to take care of business with very little fuss.
Sir Alex Ferguson accepted a 'United tax' if paying more for new signings meant deals could be done quickly and on the quiet.
Stars like David Beckham, Roy Keane, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Jaap Stam were ushered through the Old Trafford exit swiftly - sometimes brutally - when they fell out of favour with the manager.
Contracts were renewed routinely, sometimes without the need for an agent.
Of course, those were in the days when players wanted to stay and United enjoyed huge success both on and off the pitch with Ferguson working in tandem with chief executive David Gill.