Decisive. Aggressive. And with a touch of compassion. Chelsea's swoop for Nathan has Jose Mourinho's fingerprints all over it.
The 19 year-old Brazilian will be in London this week for a medical and to sign terms. Chelsea only came forward last week, but there'll be no hanging around for Nathan as he puts an ugly contract dispute with Atletico Paranaense behind him.
Chelsea's intervention has not only secured them one of South America's brightest young talents, but also saved Nathan's family over £2 million.
Since mid-2014, Atletico-PR and Nathan's family have been embroiled in a nasty contract row which has gone as far as the courts. The hearing, which has been ongoing for months, only ended with Chelsea's move last week.
The dispute all centred on a clause in Nathan's current deal.
With his contract due to expire this April, Atletico-PR notified Nathan's father and agent, José Carlos de Souza, they intended to trigger a two-year option in the agreement. Jose Carlos challenged the clause, insisting his son should be free to negotiate with interested teams this year.
"We were caught off guard by their claim," Jose Carlos recalled. "We didn't expect it. I don't know what to say. Nathan has always shown total dedication to Atletico-PR."
The demand left the family furious, to the point where Jose Carlos offered Atletico-PR over £2 million to release his son from the original deal.
But Atletico-PR insisted the offer fell short of Nathan's market value and took the row to court.
"It's been difficult," Nathan said while on international duty with Brazil U19, "I just try to stay focused on my football. What has happened is wrong, but I just have to try and stay positive.
"I've spoken to my father and we've agreed to remain cheerful and for me to focus on my football."
As their case was being heard, Jose Carlos was in Europe earlier this year drumming up interest. He returned home with tentative offers from "eight clubs", including Manchester City.
Indeed, if Nathan was to leave Atletico-PR this year, local sources insisted it would be for City. But that was before Chelsea decisively stepped in.
The key to Chelsea's swoop has been Giuliano Bertolucci, who also helped the Blues land Oscar two years ago.
It was Bertolucci who invited Jose Carlos to Europe to speak with interested clubs. Along with City, Real Madrid, AS Monaco and PSG also expressed interest. Jose Carlos met with the father of PSG defender Marquinhos to discuss life in France.
But it was in London, where he was given an assurance that Chelsea will make his son "one of the best", which swayed Jose Carlos' thinking.
The Blues immediately tabled a €5 million offer, so covering the family's proposal and satisfying Atletico-PR's valuation in the same process. Rather than carry on in the courts, the board agreed to accept Chelsea's bid and release Nathan to fly to London this week.
If everything is settled in Cobham, the lawsuit will be dropped and the young No10 will be able to continue his career in Europe.
One man who will be happy for Nathan is former coach Claudinei Oliveira, who backed the youngster throughout the dispute.
Claudinei did publicly urge Nathan to rethink his choice to move to Europe at this stage in his career, but never considered freezing out the midfielder.
"I think the main thing is for players like Nathan that they leave Atletico-PR as idols. Away from here, it is always more difficult. You have to win over new fans, a new coach and everything becomes more difficult.
"Nathan is a player of great quality. This is indisputable."
