While there have been several arrivals and departures at Norwich this term, they've either come pretty much out of the blue (the practical disappearances of Robert Earnshaw to Derby and Dickson Etuhu to Sunderland) or been dragged out so long to become a little bit tiresome (Jon Otsemobor's protracted free transfer from Crewe and David Marshall's foregone conclusion from Celtic).
The recent declarations by key player Darren Huckerby about his disenchantment at recent sales have meant that he has been seen as unsettled. Would he be sold? Would he retire? No, neither. He's going nowhere, according to Peter Grant. If he had been going anywhere, he would have gone last year, apparently.
Alright then, what about the exciting Celtic forward Derek Riordan we're hearing about? Where would he fit into the burgeoning Canaries forward line? I don't know, says Grant, so I won't buy him. Dammit.
Just once, it would be nice for something long-mooted to come off and stay that way. Yes, the arrival of Dean Ashton was amazing and all too brief, and Earnshaw was a similarly ambitious and exciting coup.
Granted, we also had flirations with Freddy Eastwood and Billy Sharp, and for a moment looked like having both of them along with Eanrhsaw. Instead we have none, although Jamie Cureton should be great and we'll have to see about David Strihavka.
But what of the Robbie Fowlers of this world? Cardiff have bagged him and ex-England winger Trevor Sinclair for nowt, and banked £5million for poor man's Earnshaw Michael Chopra. Luton Town's Kevin Blackwell has pulled some classics out of the bag with Paul Furlong, Paul Peschisolido and Chris Perry and is after Don Hutchison. Alright, they're about 100, but they're names! Even Patrick Kluivert has been linked with Sheffield bloody Wednesday!
There is still time this summer for Mr Grant to pull one out of the bag. I suspect that few signings he could make will turn out to be as astute as the loan capture of Jimmy Smith, but I am sure I'm not alone in hoping that someone who was brilliant on Football Manager when signed from Paris St Germain will suddenly appear. Or, more likely, at least someone from Scotland we've heard of.