Scouts, data profiles and player circumstances and personalities all feed into a transfer taking place while there are a plethora of ingredients as to whether a player move is successful - there's no recipe to ensure it'll work but in the League of Ireland there are a couple of indicators for each position which might help.
Galway United may have returned to the pitch only last week in advance of their first Premier Division campaign since 2017, but the sense in talking to manager John Caulfield is that preparations are well underway.
The difference a year can make – last November Galway United had been soundly beaten by Waterford in the First Division playoffs having finished a disappointing third behind the Blues and champions Cork City.