Barcelona and their fans started a game of cat and mouse.
The fans wouldn't take to Barcelona's inconsistency.
Saying Quaresma is Quaresma, what's the deal with finding a bankrupt version?
Seeing they couldn't fool the fans, Barcelona's top brass had to bite the bullet and re-enter negotiations with Sporting Lisbon.
This time, they offered 15 million euros + Simon.
Although Simon had struggled at Barcelona, he still showed moments of brilliance, and his talent and ability were evident to the naked eye.
His value wouldn't soar, but it shouldn't plummet either.
A fair price would be 15 million euros. Even with a discount for club relationship issues, it'd still be around 10 million euros.
Barcelona thought their offer was a sincere one.