January 10 – The way clubs manipulate the transfer window behind the scenes in their negotiations has long been a somewhat questionable practise in terms of how much players who move are actually worth.
But the mayor of Liverpool in the UK has now taken the debate to a whole new level after formally calling for an investigation as to whether any fraud took place surrounding England midfielder Ross Barkley’s recent switch from Everton to Chelsea.
Joe Anderson, a lifelong Everton fan, has written to the heads of the Football Association (FA) and Premier League following Barklay’s £15 million transfer suggesting the circumstances of the deal may have been dubious and “warrants serious investigation”.
Anderson wants to know why the fee was so low for a player who was the subject of a £35 million bid from Chelsea last summer, only to pull out at the last moment.
The Liverpool Echo newspaper reported that Anderson is “so concerned” with the transfer that he has “contacted the relevant policing authorities”.
Noting that the currently injured Barkley did not play “a single minute for Everton” in the time between the two windows, Anderson’s letter to the relevant authorities said: “At best, this represents a very poor deal for Everton Football Club.
“At worst, it could be seen as a deliberate attempt to drive down a player’s value in the transfer market so as to benefit the player, his agent and the buying club.”
Anderson tells FA chairman Greg Clarke and Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore that an investigation is warranted in order to “reassure fans that transfers will be monitored more closely in future and that no individuals are benefitting inappropriately.”
“I am so concerned about the circumstances surrounding this transfer that I am asking the appropriate police authorities to consider whether any fraud has taken place.”
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