Philippe Coutinho’s long and drawn out move from Liverpool to Barcelona could have been described as painful for many Reds fans but the whispers from Spain proved an entertaining sideshow.

On a near daily basis, a Catalan-based newspaper said the Brazilian was to be unveiled at several points during August - despite Liverpool holding firm and insisting he would not be sold in the summer of 2017.

The likes of Ivan Rakitic, Paco Alcacer and Denis Suarez were also linked as potential makeweights in the deal.

Yet Coutinho would not depart Anfield until January of this year, becoming the third-most expensive player in history, moving to Camp Nou in a £142m deal.

The transfer saga ending hasn’t stopped some more absurd claims from abroad though report the Liverpool Echo.

According to Spanish radio station Cadena Ser, Coutinho’s deal included a clause which says the La Liga giants cannot sign any Liverpool player for another TWO years.

Philippe Coutinho puts Barcelona ahead in their win over Deportivo La Coruna that sealed the La Liga title
Philippe Coutinho puts Barcelona ahead in their win over Deportivo La Coruna that sealed the La Liga title

That, however, can be waived by the Reds if they wish to sell a player to Barca.

Which, surely, is how a transfer usually works.

The story - as relaid by Madrid-based newspaper AS - claims Liverpool insisted on placing a three-year transfer ban (now, a year on, down to two) on Barcelona.

But with the suggestion Liverpool can break this agreement at any time, how it differs from any other potential transfer is unclear.