Barcelona’s response to having a third bid of up to £118million rejected for Philippe Coutinho was to make contact with Liverpool again on Friday and impose one of the transfer market’s more bizarre deadlines.

The Catalan club, in all their wisdom, informed Anfield officials that they have until Sunday evening to change their mind, and belatedly accept the offer, or it will be withdrawn.

In other words, a bid Liverpool have twice told Barcelona not to make is instantly rebuffed and their rivals’ next move is to threaten to take it off the table.

Finally in this saga, the Camp Nou club has managed to do something which served as a source of amusement for Liverpool’s power brokers.

Sadio Mane managed to keep the grin