White clouds gather and again the pendulum swings in the great Real-Bale back 'n forth.
Bored, I think is the correct word.
The question bugging Taxi For Maicon at the moment... "Is there any limit on the number of Belgian players one side can field?"
Our most recent arrival - Nacer Chadli, a £7million acquisition from Steve McLaren's Dutch former employers FC Twente - joins last year's signings Jan Vertonghen and Mousa Dembele.
Not to mention - although I'm just about to - that we were linked strongly with Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke.
It would seem we are trying to buy up the whole team. But why Belgians? Well, in case you hadn't noticed, as a footballing nation they are pretty good of late.
They are leading World Cup qualification group A on 19 points, 3 ahead of Croatia and yet to lose a game.
And it hasn't gone unnoticed. Most bookies have them as sixth favourite to win Brazil 2014 - that's better than England and level with 2010 finalists Holland.
So in buying Belgian, it looks like we're onto a good thing - although we're hardly ahead of the curve.
Belgium is rapidly becoming a go-to nation for Premier League scouts. Apart from our three Flemish imports, loads of Belgium's latest international squad play at our top clubs. Here is a rather useful list to paint a picture:
Marouane Fellaini (Everton), Kevin Mirallas (Everton), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea), Kevin de Bruyne (Chelsea), Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea), Christian Benteke (Aston Villa)
Working out whether or not Belgium are embarking on a path to football domination, however, is not why you're here. You want to know why we signed Chadli...
We first came across him during our 2010 Champions League run, when he played against us twice for FC Twente - and scored twice.
The 23-year-old got Twente's only goal in a 4-1 drubbing at White Hart Lane, then scored an impressive free-kick in the return fixture, a 3-3 draw in Holland.
Not only can he play on either flank but he's a bona fide two-footer. Of his 23 Eredivisie goals in the last two seasons, he has bagged 11 with his right and 8 on his left.
Of course, the fact he has come from the Dutch league is always worth taking into consideration, such is the difference in standard.
His former Twente boss Co Adriaanse dubbed him "the new Bryan Ruiz" - in England, that's not a huge compliment (Ruiz is that Fulham striker who never scores any goals).
But there have been some genuine Eredivisie gems that have taken to the Premier League straightaway - Fellaini, Luis Suarez and Vertonghen, to name three.
Chadli seems to have all the hallmarks to succeed at Spurs. But with Aaron Lennon, Gareth Bale and Lewis Holtby in our ranks, there is no reason to think the Belgian will be thrust into the starting eleven before he's good and ready.
And if we have to bow to Real's financial force and sell Bale NEXT YEAR, then with any luck we'll have a settled winger ready to step in and soften the blow.
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