With the start of the Spanish season just days away, Real Madrid was still busy finalizing its squad for the new campaign on Wednesday with two new arrivals and one departure imminent.
Real's long chase for Arjen Robben finally looks to have reached a successful conclusion after the Primera Liga champions agreed a deal with Chelsea for the transfer of the Dutch international winger to the Bernabeu on a five-year contract.
Full-back Gabriel Heinze is also heading to Spain with an agreement in place to bring the Argentina international to Madrid from Manchester United on a four-year deal.
Both transfers are subject to successful medicals but, providing there are no complications, the duo could well form a new-look left-hand side at Real next season.
Heinze, 29, is set to step into the full-back berth vacated by long-serving Br azilian Roberto Carlos, who departed for Turkey this summer, while winger Robben has long been a target of Real's to boost their options down the flanks.
Real president Ramon Calderon promised to bring Robben to the Bernabeu as part of his successful election campaign in 2006, but no deal was forthcoming until Chelsea announced on Wednesday they had agreed to let the player leave Stamford Bridge for Spain.
A statement on the Chelsea website confirmed the situation.
"Chelsea Football Club and Real Madrid have reached an agreement for the transfer of Arjen Robben subject to the player agreeing personal terms and passing a medical," the statement read.
While Robben and Heinze both look poised to became Real's latest summer signings - following in the footsteps of Christoph Metzelder, Pepe, Javier Saviola, Jerzy Dudek, Royston Drenthe and Wesley Sneijder - one player who is set to leave the club is full-back Cicinho.
On the same day that the deals for Robben and Heinze were announced, Real revealed the 27-year-old Br azilian is heading to Italian side Roma.
"Real Madrid announce that they have reached an agreement for the transfer of Cicero Joao de Cezare ' Cicinho' to AS Roma, according to a statement on the club's official website.
"The club wish to thank the player for his services and wish him the best of luck for the future."
Real's trio of transfer deals came just three days before they launch the defence of their Primera Liga title with a mouth-watering home clash against local rivals Atletico Madrid on Saturday.
The build-up to that game has been far from smooth however, with the team having lost six of their 10 pre-season matches under new coach Bernd Schuster.
The latest of those losses came at the Bernabeu last weekend when Real were beaten 5-3 by Sevilla en route to a 6-3 aggregate defeat in the Spanish Super Cup.