What would happen to the transfer market if a group of players worth more than £1 billion in transfer fees suddenly became available in the same window, all anxious to immediately find a new club?
If Manchester City fail to overturn an independent commission finding that they were guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of the Premier League's financial rules over a nine-season period -- City reject the findings and lodged their appeal on Friday -- the soccer world will find out exactly what it looks like when a collection of superstars and serial winners flood the market.
It would be a football version of "Supermarket Sweep" with Europe's biggest clubs raiding the Etihad Stadium for cut-price deals. With few exceptions, players would be ready to take the first opportunity to escape the crumbling empire they were once so desperate to join.