In terms of an ideal ‘win-win’ transfer situation Chelsea and Manchester United have it within their grasp now.
It could well be ‘win-win’ for all except for the fans at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge.
But they will cotton on as long as it is ‘win-win’ on the pitch.
A Juan Mata, Wayne Rooney, swap.
A Monday night clash could be the ideal showcase for both those player to convince opposing managers that if their time at their respective clubs is up, they are worth the go.
Manchester United have a squad that is increasingly looking doughnut shaped.
Well-rounded on all sides with a large hole in the middle.
Michael Carrick as holding midfielder has struggled to release the ball to that attacking midfield option who can move it on quickly and with purpose.
Tom Cleverley and Anderson have both had stuttering starts to the season. Ryan Giggs will be glad to stop filling in Paul Scholes' role.
Needless to say a player of Juan Mata’s caliber could easily fit into David Moyes’ plans.
Rooney still, by all accounts, wants to leave, and ideally for Chelsea.
Jose Mourinho will be more than glad to have Rooney and the striker has showed in United’s Swansea game that he still up to a world-class pass, if not a world-class finish.
The television cameramen at Old Trafford will be primed for the slightest hint of bonhomie between Mourinho and Wayne Rooney, who has been the subject of two failed bids from Chelsea in recent weeks.
Waiting for Roo
Mourinho promised not to make a third offer for the unsettled striker prior to Monday's game, but it will undoubtedly make for the most intriguing sub-plot of the evening.
Moyes says there is a "good chance" he will hand a starting berth to his wayward number 10, who created two goals at Swansea but whose body language suggested he would have preferred to be elsewhere.
However, the Scot's options are restricted by injuries to three of his attacking players.
Wingers Ashley Young (ankle) and Nani (groin) and striker Javier Hernandez (hamstring) are all set to miss the game, along with right-back Rafael da Silva, who damaged his hamstring in the Community Shield.
Centre-back David Luiz (hamstring) is Chelsea's only major injury doubt, but Mourinho may look to rotate his squad in light of Wednesday's hard-fought win over Villa at Stamford Bridge.
In particular, Romelu Lukaku will hope that it is his turn to start up front, after Mourinho selected Fernando Torres for the opening 2-0 win over Hull City before turning to Demba Ba against Villa.
Mourinho has made it apparent that he remains determined to add Rooney to his pool of frontmen, but he was reluctant to discuss his interest in the 27-year-old ahead of the game.
Bring it on
Moyes, though, is relishing the challenge.
"There have been a lot of things I have been looking forward to: taking the team on tour, leading them out at Wembley," he said.
"But to do it at Old Trafford for the first game against Chelsea is a thrill for me, it really is."
"I don't care. In this moment I don't care," he said. "I have a big match to play on Monday. I don't care about new players."
Although he spent six years away from English football during his time at Inter Milan and Madrid, Mourinho says that United remain the team to beat.
"In my time they had Roy Keane, (Paul) Scholes, players with big history there," he said.
"Now they have still players from my time, like (Rio) Ferdinand, (Nemanja) Vidic, (Ryan) Giggs, and they have this always mixed with very good young players.
"With that winning culture, that makes the basis of big clubs. And they are a big club for many, many years. They have everything."
Chelsea won twice at United in Mourinho's first spell at the club, and United have prevailed only once in the last six encounters between the sides.