Since LionsXII's expulsion from Malaysian football last month, one of the burning questions for Singapore fans has been: 'Where to next for star man, Safuwan Baharudin?'
According to rumours around Jalan Besar Stadium, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) are doing everything they can to sign up the 24-year-old utility player as part of the Young Lions for the 2016 S.League season.
This, ESPN FC understands, is being done in preparation for the ASEAN Super League (ASL), which is now scheduled to kick off a year late, in 2017. But is the move a step forward or two steps back for the undisputed golden boy of Singapore football?
Malaysian clubs PDRM and Selangor have been linked to Safuwan while the likes of domestic giants, Tampines Rovers and Geylang International, are also interested in his services.
And, this week, Melbourne City are said to be keen on Safuwan as a possible replacement for injured defender Connor Chapman. Earlier this year, his three month stint as the A-League's first Singapore import saw him score two goals in six matches on-loan, playing alongside the likes of Damien Duff, Aaron Mooy and Josh Kennedy.
So why keep the rising star in a developmental squad like Young Lions and hamper his evolution? With most of his former LionsXII teammates agreeing to sign with S.League clubs, Safuwan must be allowed to pursue his dreams abroad, like his international teammate, Hariss Harun, who won the Malaysia Super League (MSL) and AFC Cup titles with Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT)
If a top club from Malaysia or elsewhere want him, he should be free to go. 2015 Malaysia Cup champions Selangor are changing coaches, and freshening up their squad, so the Red Giants could be an option.
And if Melbourne City -- sister club of Manchester City -- come calling again, another stint Down Under could be his ticket to and English or European dream.
There is always the Singapore option of joining star-studded Tampines or Geylang to give him the opportunity to win his first S.League title. But Safuwan -- who can play a variety of positions and was Lions XII's top scorer with 10 goals in 23 appearances this season -- is simply too talented not to be developing his skills for a Young Lions team.
Singapore's top local players need to be allowed to blossom in order for the national team blueprint to succeed.
Overall, it has been a disappointing 12 months for Singapore football, with the AFC World Cup qualifying draw in Japan and the Malaysia FA Cup victory the only bright lights. There was a group stage exit for the U23 side in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games on home soil, and looking further back, the failure of the Lions to make the knockout stages of last December's AFF Suzuki Cup in what was supposed to be a happy homecoming to the National Stadium.
Yet, Safuwan has consistently been a standout performer for LionsXII and the national team, excelling at both ends of the park.
Should the ASL take flight in a year or two, luring Safuwan back to represent a Singapore side in the tournament is not likely to be a problem.
So for now, the FAS top brass need to be careful not to curtail the player's prospects, even with one eye on the ASL. If Safuwan is allowed to pursue his dreams off shore, he can incorporate those higher standards when he returns as a senior player in the national team - and, indeed, for the ASL side.
Only then, will Singapore football be looking at the big picture instead of a short term fix.