Five clubs named in Stevens findings - Sport in brief - Evening Standard
       

Five clubs named in Stevens findings

Five Premier League clubs have been named by Lord Stevens in his final report into top-flight transfers.

Deals involving Chelsea, Newcastle, Bolton, Middlesbrough and Portsmouth have all been highlighted by the former Metropolitan Police commissioner in his report to the Premier League.

The main focus of the report targets agents though some of the clubs are set to face further investigation from the Football Association.

Stevens has also expressed concern about 15 agents and third parties involved in some 17 transfers. Stevens' report specifically lists concerns about two managers.

One is Sam Allardyce, and a conflict of interest with his former agent son Craig and Bolton Wanderers.

The other is Graeme Souness, with Stevens reporting "inconsistencies in evidence" provided by the former Newcastle manager and Kenneth Shepherd, son of Magpies chairman Freddy Shepherd.

Of the 17 transfers, four relate to Newcastle signings (Emre Belozoglu, Jean Alain Boumsong, Amady Faye, Albert Luque), four to Bolton (Ali Al-Habsi, Tal Ben Haim, Blessing Kaku, Julio Correia), three to Chelsea (Didier Drogba, Petr Cech, Michael Essien), three to Portsmouth (Collins Mbesuma, Benjani Mwaruwari, Aliou Cisse) and two to Middlesbrough (Aiyegbeni Yakubu and Fabio Rochemback) while one transfer has not been disclosed.

Lord Stevens said in a statement: "Many lessons have been learned and strict adherence to and enforcement of the recommendations should ensure that the game and the transfer market can proceed in an untainted and transparent manner."

The Premier League will now send the findings to the FA and FIFA.

An FA spokesman said: "Following the final report of the Premier League's Quest Inquiry, the FA will give full consideration to its contents and the documentation that is due to be passed on by the Premier League and Quest."

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