Strap on the seatbelts and prepare for a bumpy ride, because the next few days could be a frantic journey for Liverpool and their supporters.
With the transfer window looming, every single fan is fascinated about what may happen before the deadline on Friday evening, and the implications for Brendan Rodgers' team.
What we know is the new manager has already spent the funds (seemingly wisely) available to him on Joe Allen, Fabio Borini and Oussama Assaidi. So, put simply, if there are to be any last minute deals, players will have to go out first.
Looking at the Liverpool squad, realistically, there are few players who could be sold to raise the sort of funds required to strengthen with any great impact. Rule out skipper Steven Gerrard for obvious reasons, and Luis Suarez and Martin Skrtel because they've just signed new contracts, and that list becomes even shorter.
In fact, you'd say only Daniel Agger and Andy Carroll would command the sort of fees that would give Rodgers sufficient funds to buy a replacement for their position AND strengthen in other areas. No coincidence then, they are the two most linked with moves from Anfield in recent weeks.
Fans love to see new faces, but the reality for Liverpool is there must be sacrifices to bring in new signings, and even though both players are popular amongst the support, both are expendable for different reasons.
Carroll isn't an ideal fit into Rodgers' system, which requires just one central forward player. He can't play wide, as Borini and Suarez can, so he must be used only in a position for which he is - at best - third choice. Makes sense then, to cash in while he is still an England regular and use the funds to find replacements.
Agger DOES fit the system well, but his injury record suggests he will play roughly half the games this season, just as he's done in previous years. That alone is a reason to cash in and find a more reliable replacement, especially if the fee is tempting.
So what are the chances of that happening before the deadline? With Carroll, it seems obvious he has been persuaded to ignore all other offers and wait for Newcastle to come in. Presumably that will happen on deadline day. Presumably that will be a much-reduced offer. And presumably Liverpool will reject it because it won't provide the funds or time time required to find a replacement AND reinforcements.
Agger may be a different story though. City want him, but so far haven't bid enough to persuade Liverpool the defender can be sacrificed for the greater cause. On the surface, that again looks a dead deal.
Yet politics are at play at Eastlands, with manager Roberto Mancini at odds with his director of football Brian Marwood. A battle of wills is playing out over transfer targets, with the manager placing his board under great pressure.
Mancini has been clever. If he doesn't get the players he wants then he can blame the board and avoid the flak, should the team fail this season, while still taking the glory should they succeed. Marwood on the other hand, is in a lose-lose situation at the moment, because he's the bad guy whatever happens.
Classically, such politics tend to play themselves out right up to the deadline when the stalemate is often broken with a late, dramatic bid to appease the manager with a massive signing. In this case, you can see a huge offer for Agger, just as there was one for Joleon Lescott a few years back.
If City offer, say £25million on deadline day, then Rodgers will undoubtedly have a contingency plan where he buys a previously identified centre half, along with at least two more players to boost a squad that looks seriously under-nourished at present.
Of course the golden question is where? Centre half would be a must under that circumstance, and he is a big admirer of Ashley Williams. Left back too, is a position he would like to strengthen, with Glen Johnson forced to play there in recent games.
Rodgers also needs at least one - and maybe two - wide players to form part of a three-man forward line. And he needs those players to be able to score goals to take the pressure off Suarez as the focal point of Liverpool's attack.
Clearly, he has already identified Clint Dempsey as that type of player, and he would be ideal for the role given his eye for goal. The situation with Theo Walcott at Arsenal is also fascinating, given the ultimatum he has been offered by the Gunners over signing a new contract or being sold. Walcott with his pace, industry and ability to find the net, would also fit the bill.
Both players have only a year left on their current deals, which would reduce their transfer fees, and you could see a situation where Liverpool could sell Agger, buy a defender who could play centre half OR left back and still have enough money left over to buy Dempsey AND Walcott.
Now that would be some transfer window, and it would also allow them to hold out for a more realistic fee for Carroll, who could then be sold right on the midnight deadline with any monies retained for a future window.
Of course, there is another scenario. City could decide they don't want to pay such a massive fee for a player with a dubious injury record, and Newcastle could merely do as expected and make a derisory offer for Carroll.
In which case, you can unclip the seatbelt and admire the scenery, because the ride would suddenly get rather dull.
