Pogba’s barber, Ronaldo looking for schools, Coutinho’s aunt and Instagram likes… how much can we read into transfer hints?

THE transfer window is open...

It's time for the January sales, with millions of pounds expected to change hands between Europe's top clubs for the world's best footballing talent.

And players are happy to give us a clue that they're preparing for pastures new.

Whether it's liking an interested rival's post on Instagram, changing boot sponsor, having a hairdresser do the dirty work, or your aunt dropping you in it, footballers love dropping hints of a move.

But then there's also the times when the rumour mill is churning out plot lines as outrageous as an Eastenders Christmas special.

How much can we read into players dropping transfer hints?

Paul Pogba

Before the mercurial Frenchman completed his then world-record £89m transfer to Man United, it was a hairdresser that told us he was on the move.

Miami barber Crizt Offerson took to Instagram to share a snap of Pogba getting a trim, saying he was getting him ready for a huge transfer.

Better still, he captioned the picture: "Had to change up Pogba's hair colour for his new team #ManchesterUnited #Lyfebrand."

Crizt later removed the Red Devils hashtag from his post, but we were already tipped off.

Pogba was officially unveiled just weeks later.

Paulo Dybala

The Argentinian forward is one of the most-wanted players in the world, and it's believed Man United want to make him their next big-money signing.

So when Dybala recently donned a pair of Adidas X 17 Plus Purespeed boots for Juventus against Verona, alarm bells began to sound on social media.

Twitter users became convinced that Dybala was headed to Old Trafford - simply because United are sponsored by Adidas.

Also, don't forget signings in past windows - Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku - also belong to the Adidas family.

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Dybala previously wore a Nike Mercurial Superfly V boot, so as his stock began to rise it was natural he wanted a new deal and switched boots.

Incidentally, it's forgotten that Adidas sponsor the Old Lady too.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Now, this is surely just playground talk?

It was claimed that the world's best player is eyeing up English schools for his 7-year-old son Cristiano Jr.

Ronaldo wants his boy to get the best education possible and has been sounding out private schools, which can charge up to £17,600 a year.

He's also been checking out property in Surrey and London, which obviously means the Premier League and PSG are now on high-alert.

Does that mean Ronaldo will complete a fairytale return to Old Trafford or move to France's capital?

Could be tricky seeing he has a contract with Real Madrid till 2021 that has a £887m release clause.

Just maybe Ronaldo thinks an English education is the best?

Philippe Coutinho

Will he? Won't he?

The jury is still out whether Liverpool's star man will move to Barcelona, like it has been mooted since the summer.

Coutinho has been MIA for The Reds through injury, with press reports in Spain claiming he's being spared for a transfer to Barcelona.

More fuel was added to the fire with Liverpool's 2018 calendar, which features the Brazilian ONLY on the January page and not on the front cover.

Does that mean the Anfield giants don't see him playing any further part from January?

Who knows... but Barcelona's sponsors Nike seem to have an inside track on any potential deal.

They advertised discounted shirts of the Catalan titans with Coutinho's name printed on the back.

And if Coutinho's aunt is to be believed, he will be gracing La Liga soon, Barcelona fans.

When she liked an Instagram account that said it was Coutinho's last year at Liverpool, it triggered a flurry of conversation online.

She told concerned Barcelona fans, "You must stay calm, he's coming soon."

Tiemoue Bakayoko

The Chelsea midfielder was reportedly involved in a two-way transfer tussle in the summer with the Stamford Bridge club and Man United.

The Blues won the battle, but Bakayoko was the king of teasing us with where he was headed.

Just when it looked like The Red Devils made him a priority signing, he went on Twitter and replied to a tweet that suggested he was moving to Manchester.

"Oui ca," he wrote in response to a claim he was Mourinho's top transfer target. That can be loosely translated as, "Yes, this."

If that wasn't enough, he then took to Instagram to convince us he was coming to the Premier League posting a photo of an English language learning book.

This summer he also shared a photo dining with Chelsea's David Luiz and his agent Kia Joorabchian before his move.

He also had us on tenterhooks when he tweeted from Manchester a good morning message with two beefeater emojis and a couple of Union Jack flags.

And then there's the Instagram hints...

Thomas Lemar, Leon Goretzka, Julian Draxler, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Benjamin Mendy, Alvaro Morata... they're guilty of dropping Instagram bombs.

The Lemar to Arsenal saga intensified again in December when the Monaco ace liked an Instagram post from a user that read: 'Welcome to Arsenal.' That deal doesn't look closer now.

Then there's Goretzka, who dropped a MASSIVE hint that he wanted to join Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool revolution.

All he did was simply like a video that showed the German manager showing off his passion for the game on the touchline.

PSG star Draxler is another one that got the Gooners into a frenzy.

Back in October, Arsenal fans were convinced that the forward was coming to the Emirates after uploading a photo of an Arsenal shirt.

Mind you, the shirt did have the name of his best mate Sead Kolasinac on the back of it.

They both played together at Schalke, so it seemed it was more of a case of congratulating his pal then 'gunning' for a move.

Chelsea's Spanish marksman Morata had us all convinced he was Man United bound in the summer.

Why else would he start following David de Gea, Paul Pogba,  Juan Mata, Ibrahimovic, Adnan Januzaj, Ander Herrera and Wayne Rooney?

He even added United legends David Beckham and Patrice Evra to that list, but it was to London he headed.

But Instagram can also be a great barometer into a player's mindset.

When Oxlade-Chamberlain cryptically liked a post that he was joining Liverpool, not many would've believed it.

However, weeks later the Ox was on route for his Anfield medical and lo-and-behold the evidence was there.

Naby Keita, who will be joining Liverpool next summer from RB Leipzig, also flirted on Instagram with a move to the five-time european champions.

When the Guinean midfielder spied a mocked-up Instagram post of himself photoshopped onto a Liverpool shirt, he couldn't help but hit the like button.

Again, he was soon unveiled as a Liverpool player just weeks later.

And finally, who can forget Man City full back Benjamin Mendy telling us he was also Premier League-bound.

Before signing for The Citizens, his former teammate Bernado Silva moved to the Etihad which prompted Mendy into action.

The energetic defender posted an Instagram snap wearing Union Jack shorts with the caption, "See you soon."

So maybe there is something in it after all...