THE FUSE

Vine confirmed last summer that Barton had covered his legal costs after losing that case, stating that the battle had cost the former midfielder "by his account, £600,000". A source close to the situation has revealed the severity of the situation, saying: "Barton faces serious trouble and that's only been made worse by the fact he's been involved with so many court cases. Each one costs thousands of pounds in legal fees and if you lose, it's even worse."