Chelsea forward Patrick Bamford has brought to an end a period of transfer speculation by joining London neighbours Crystal Palace on a season-long loan deal, the club has confirmed.
One of the summer's more protracted, if not one one of the most high-profile transfer sagas, Bamford has been linked with clubs up and down the Premier League and in the Football League.
After spending the last three seasons on loan in the lower divisions with MK Dons, Derby County and Middlesbrough, Bamford will now finally have the opportunity to play in the top flight having joined the Blues as a teenager in 2012.
The striker had a sensational season last term
21-year-old Bamford, who turns 22 in September, spent last season in the Championship with Middlesbrough and scored 19 goals in all competitions, winning the Football League's Player of the Year award in the process.
He caught the eye of Jose Mourinho with some notable performances, scoring in cup games at Liverpool and Manchester City, but a long-standing ankle injury left him bereft of form and fitness as Boro were beaten by Norwich City in the play-off final at Wembley.
Previous to his spell on Teesside, the England youth international had spent half a season with Derby, scoring eight times. It had been thought earlier in the summer that he could look to link up with then-manager Steve McClaren, now at Newcastle United, but The Times reported that he turned the move down in order to fight for a first-team spot at Stamford Bridge.
Bamford has made no secret of his desire to play for Chelsea
It had seemed that Mourinho would give Bamford the chance to impress in pre-season, but the arrival of Radamel Falcao pushed him further down the pecking order and he was left out of the club's 23-man squad to tour North America.
Now, though, he has been handed an opportunity by Palace manager Alan Pardew to impress at the highest domestic level after climbing the footballing ladder from League One during his time at MK Dons.
The move also coincides with a new three-year Chelsea contract for Bamford, with Mourinho keen to introduce more home-grown talent into his side as evidenced by last season's inclusion of young midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Palace look to be going from strength to strength
Should he continue the form which saw him win plaudits from all angles in the second half of last season, he could prove a shrewd acquisition for Pardew, who seems to be putting together a dangerous squad.
Following the successes of last season, Pardew has already acquired the services of Bamford's fellow former North East favourite Yohan Cabaye on a permanent transfer from French giants Paris Saint-Germain.