Rieko Ioane faced no shortage of suitors, before the All Blacks midfielder put pen to paper on a new deal to stay in New Zealand.
Ioane, 26, has recomitted to the national team, the Blues and NZ Rugby until the end of the 2027 season.
While the new contract allows for an overseas sabbatical, Ioane will give the best years of his career to the game in New Zealand - but that's not to say he wasn't tempted to go abroad.
The 59-test veteran would have been a blockbuster signing in either Japan or Europe, potentially opening the door to follow several teammates abroad after this season.
In February, Australian outlet The Roar reported Ioane would join Japanese side Ricoh Black Rams, but he flatly denied those rumours.
With offers on the table, regular conversations with those closest to him convinced Ioane to stay put.
"It's a crazy world that we live in," he said. "There was always options and I'm in a privileged position that there was options.
"I'm very lucky to be in the situation I was in. It came down to my legacy, family, the comfort of being home with my partner, mum and dad, [brother] Aki just around the corner, and weighing that up with - when it comes down to it - money.
"We talked through it and I had all the support I needed. I got all the information I needed."
Re-signing with NZ Rugby also gives Ioane the potential to win the game's biggest prize - the Rugby World Cup - twice, in 2023 and 2027 - but he takes nothing for granted.
For a start, the tournament in France takes a backseat to what's still to come for the Blues in Super Rugby Pacific.
Among active All Blacks, only Beauden Barrett (41) has scored more tries than Ioane (33), but any talk of his legacy in the New Zealand game can wait.
"You can't look too far past this year," he joked. "If we get this year right, I'll be pretty happy and I can retire after it.
"There's definitely a lot of things. I've spoken on this before - your motivation and your goals are ever changing.
"Right now, I'm happy to get this deal done. Now, it's just about focusing on the Blues.
"That legacy talk can come in a couple of years' time and I can see how things unfold.
"For now, I'm super happy with the decision and looking forward to getting into it again."
Ioane also gave nothing away over the future of older brother Akira, whose NZ Rugby contract also expires at the end of the season.
With his own decision made, Ioane will reciprocate the help given to him, when weighing up his contract situation.
"His kettle of fish is different to mine," said Ioane. "He's going through all the processes he needs to.
"I'm just here for support."
