Rumors typically only become public as the deal is closing, and more people are brought in to do the work on it. The fact that there were rumors was a strong indication that the deal was about to take place.
Not quite, Apple was rumored to be buying Tesla, which would have made sense considering thier cash reserves, however the deal never happened.
Indication, but not guarantee. The point I was really trying to make, is that rumors typically don't leak at the very early stage, when there are limited people involved. The point at which rumors do start occurring, is at the very final, final stages - and so it's not surprising that a deal is closed soon after the rumors start leaking.
Apple rumors are not a typical example. There's a whole industry of idiots "analysts" who do nothing but release click-bait speculation about Apple.