Stage: the bid was rejected. It became public after the bid was rejected. The link is speculative for now. A bid has already been rejected. The talk has begun to distract him.
Stage: concrete interest. The interested club has formally approached. The link is speculative for now. He has no special loyalty holding him in place. The talk has begun to distract him.
Outlook
Expectations may build after a stand-out moment.
Praised privately for his recent performance
Serious
Cause
The discussion focused on his recent performance level.