"The Lucas Lima case has already been handed over to the legal department." That is the brief note which Santos FC have published.

However, off the microphone, Peixe officials say they will make a complaing about FC Barcelona to FIFA for having negotiated with Lima before he entered the final six months of his contract.

Santos consider that Barcelona have broken FIFA's rules, given clubs cannot talk to Lima until he moves into the final six months of his deal, which will be on July 1.

According to Santos, Barça are repeat offenders when it comes to these practices. Their directors remeber the Neymar case, although their president at the time Luis Alvaro Oliveira did sign a document in 2011 autorising Ney and his agents to talk to other clubs.

In the Lima case, Santos doubt there's an agreement between the player and Barça but they are convinced that there have been talks.

The Brazilian club's complaint follows supposed comments from Lima himself that he will join Barcelona in January -- although he denies making the comments.

Neymar's father's company represents Lima and the midfielder has still not penned a new deal with Santos, rejecting all the offers they have made him so far. Palmeiras have also shown an interest in him.

BARÇA - SANTOS WAR

The relationship between Barcelona and Santos has been tense since the transfer of Neymar in 2013.

In 2015, the Brazilians reported Neymar to FIFA and asked for a six-month prison sentence. As a response, Barça refused to pay the two million euros bonus which was due when the forward was a Ballon d'Or finalists. That money has been put to one side until all the problems over the transfer have been resolved.

In August, Barça announced that they would report Santos to FIFA because they did not advise them they'd received an offer for Gabigol -- which Barça would have been allowed to equal per an agreement -- and the striker signed for Inter. The Blaugrana had had a preferential option on Gabigol since May 2013.