Sheffield United manager Slavisa Jokanovic expects Sampdoria midfielder Ronaldo Vieira to be confirmed as a Blades player next week.
The 23-year-old has already arrived in England from Italy but due to Covid-19 rules, he is currently in quarantine ahead of his medical at Bramall Lane before officially signing for the club on a loan-to-buy agreement.
A similar deal was struck with Vieira's previous loan side Hellas Verona last season, but after having a largely unsuccessful spell there, the Italian outfit decided against pursuing a permanent transfer.
In fact, his three years in the European nation have been summed up by that loan spell since arriving from Leeds United back in 2018 - and has continued to be left out in the cold at his parent club up to this point.
Despite spending a considerable amount of time at Sampdoria, the former England youth international signed a five-year deal on his arrival and will be back to square one again if he fails to impress under Slavisa Jokanovic this season.
However, Yorkshire is the county where he's enjoyed the most successful period of his career thus far and he will be hoping to replicate the form he showed in his Elland Road days.
Blades boss Jokanovic is keen to get him through the door and in an update on the current state of play, he told the Sheffield Star: "I believe Ronaldo will soon be with us.
"He’s still not in the building but I hope I will start working with him after the game.
"He is an experienced player, he knows the competition and is potentially one who can give us more power and quality.
"I played with all my midfielders against Birmingham and I need some more options. This is a guy who knows the competition, our expectation is high and we think he could be an important addition for us."
In the same interview, he revealed he was still keen on bringing Ben Davies to Bramall Lane. With this, he could arrive as the South Yorkshire outfit's second signing of the summer, following Vieira through the door who looks set to finish his quarantine period.
The verdict
After a slow start to the summer, partially due to Jokanovic's stance on taking a look at his existing players before entering the transfer market, Sheffield United fans will be delighted to see their first arrival come through the door shortly.
They will be especially relieved at the fact the club are aiming to address one of their problem positions - because it's something they've needed to focus on regardless of whether Sander Berge stays at the club or not after John Lundstram's departure.
Privately, Vieira may be wishing to come back to England after seeing his career stall in Italy - and therefore - he will be especially keen to make his mark at Sheffield United ahead of a potential permanent move.
Who knows, perhaps he could end up with the club in the Premier League in time for the 2022/23 campaign?
The Blades are currently in pole position for promotion despite their opening day loss and if they can get their two top targets in and add a couple of further additions, things will look even more promising at Bramall Lane.