OF all the myriad tangled threads of the Joey Barton affair, least surprising of all is the fact that both Celtic and Rangers had some kind of discussions about signing him.

Since pretty much time immemorial, that is how things have gone down between these two Glasgow giants, as savvy agents try to play one off against the other and the clubs themselves keep their ears pressed to the ground in a bid to gazump their main rivals.

Knowledge is power. And in a football context this means knowing precisely what your biggest opponents are up to at all times in order to outflank them. If everyone involved didn't at least partially go down this route then they wouldn't be doing their jobs properly.

Read more: Alex McLeish: I phoned Mark Warburton after 5-1 Celtic defeat and said 'Welcome to the Old Firm'The Herald: Joey Barton

The interplay of these two sides is a multi-faceted chess match and history is littered with pawns in this game. Maurice Johnston had reportedly agreed a deal to return to Celtic before an 11th hour conversion made him one of the biggest, and most controversial, transfer coups in Rangers' history. John Hartson failed a medical at Rangers but went on to become a huge contributor to the Martin O'Neill era at Celtic.

Read more: Warburton: Rangers ready now for challenge of first trip to Pittodrie for five years

In recent times, the Parkhead club have beaten the Ibrox side to the signatures of Scott McDonald, Scott Brown and Kris Commons, all of whom went on to become big players at Celtic Park. Last season, they beat them to the signature of Scott Allan, who - thus far at least - didn't. But at least Rangers didn't have him.

As ever, the devil is in the detail. According to Barton, Celtic were the instigators of this late transfer intrigue, chief executive Peter Lawwell communicating his interest in the player through an agent. "The message he conveyed was straight and to the point," said Barton. "'Is there anything we can do together? Can we have a conversation?' I sent word back, thanking him for his interest but confirming my intentions."

Unsurprisingly, the Parkhead power broker was swift yesterday to offer a different interpretation of events. In fact, it was Barton's agent who had contacted him, pleading to join them instead of Rangers. "I think Joey's been had by a bit of a matchmaker here," he said, as though he were the headmaster and Barton an unruly sixth form who had stepped out of line at assembly.

If the excerpts from the player's book were designed to curry favour with Rangers supporters, then the timing of their release is unfortunate indeed. It all seems far too little, far too late for that. The revelation, after all, came a week after the 5-1 Old Firm defeat, at a time when the player finds himself kicking his heels on a three-week suspension after a rumoured dressing room disagreement with midfield rival Andy Halliday and manager Mark Warburton. While it has hardly done the publishing industry any harm, Rangers fans must feel that all there has been from the 33-year-old at Ibrox is talk.

The signing of Barton this summer always looked like a calculated risk for Rangers. But few can have expected it to have backfired so spectacularly so soon. Bought as the man to provide experience to this dressing room, he has become a distraction and a source of negative headlines, not to mention an underwhelming contributor on the pitch. No wonder employment lawyers are most likely already poring through the small print of his lucrative two-year deal to see if there is an agreeable way out for both parties.

Read more: Alex McLeish: I phoned Mark Warburton after 5-1 Celtic defeat and said 'Welcome to the Old Firm'

As if all this wasn't enough, there is also the news that Barton is under investigation by the Scottish FA for allegedly breaching the rules which prevent Scottish players from betting on matches. If this misdemeanour is found to be proven, he will follow in the footsteps of another lightning rod of a Rangers midfielder in the form of Ian Black. As draconian as these rules are, Barton is an experienced professional who should have known better. In fact, that pretty much goes of his entire, albeit short, Rangers career.

Whether Barton ends up taking Mark Warburton down with him remains to be seen, but there is a risk of contagion if the Englishman was not seen to be taking decisive leadership on this issue. While being forced to cut your losses on your big summer signing after a matter of months never looks great, performing a U-turn seems to be the only way out of this cul-de-sac.

The whole Warburton project, which appeared so fresh and vibrant 12 months back, is creaking after nine points from the club's first six games. Where exactly Barton ever fitted into that blueprint is unclear. But, assuming Rangers can find a way do so without breaking the bank, sacrificing his so-called star signing may be the first step to salvaging his own reputation.