Man Utd are making progress on plans to overhaul their midfield but there is still one question that remains unanswered.
Aurelien Tchouameni
Aurelien Tchouameni is one of United's targets for the No.6 role
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Manchester United always planned to try and make progress on their midfield rebuild before the World Cup, and they are expected to have the first piece of the jigsaw in place by the time the tournament starts on June 11.
A deal worth around £38million to sign 26-year-old Ederson from Atalanta is continuing to progress and although his absence from the Brazil squad does mean there is no time pressure before the World Cup, there is an expectation it will be done by then.
Ederson will be the first of at least two new midfielders through the door at Old Trafford this summer, with the increasing likelihood that there will be three new additions, with Manuel Ugarte heading for the exit door.
The deal for Ederson will add an all-rounder to the squad. He can play as a deep-lying midfielder or push further forward and could fill either of the two No.6 slots in Michael Carrick's side, which were often filled by Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo in the second half of last season.
United are also monitoring other midfielders. They maintain a strong interest in West Ham's Mateus Fernandes, who will leave the club after the Hammers were relegated, although there is likely to be competition from Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain. They have also been linked with Middlesbrough's Hayden Hackney, who developed strongly during Carrick's time on Teesside.
But the centrepiece of the window has always been that Casemiro replacement. Old Trafford insiders have been aware of the need to sign an elite-level No.6 for months and work has gone on to draw up a shortlist of options.
While Elliot Anderson has long been considered the top target, the 23-year-old is now more likely to sign for Manchester City and will cost upwards of £100million. Aurelien Tchouameni has emerged as an alternative, although signing him from Real Madrid will be no easy task.
Interest in Sandro Tonali has cooled, while United won't push for Carlos Baleba if Brighton's price tag remains as high as it was a year ago. Adam Wharton was overlooked for England's World Cup squad, but internally, there are questions as to whether he could play alongside Mainoo in a Premier League midfield.
So the identity of United's biggest midfield signing of the summer remains a mystery, although it should be said we are at the very start of the window and there is plenty of time left for developments to emerge.
This is a signing United just have to get right. While there is a sense of momentum building around the side after the way they performed under Carrick, with no team taking more points from the final 17 games of the Premier League season than United's 39.
Circumstances fell in their favour, however. No European football saw their fixture list shrink and early exits from both domestic cup competitions meant the focus was on the Premier League from the middle of January.
That will change next season, with a return to the Champions League and the likelihood of a few more cup victories. A deeper squad is essential, and the midfield additions will play a pivotal role.
But the chances of success in Europe or at home will depend on the quality of the starting XI, and United need a tone-setting No.6 to play alongside Mainoo. They have made a good start to the midfield rebuild, but the biggest question of the summer remains unanswered.