FA launches probe into Howard transfer payments

Manchester United are being investigated by the Football Association over alleged secret payments to agents during the £2.3m summer transfer of Tim Howard.

A dossier on the American goalkeeper's move from the New York-New Jersey Metrostars has been handed to the FA, which is examining whether there was any inappropriate involvement in the deal by Jason Ferguson, the agent son of the United manager, Sir Alex. According to reports, United made a six-figure payment to a Swiss-based agent, Gaetano Marotta, for his work on Howard's transfer. It is alleged that Marotta then paid £139,000 to Mike Morris, a Monaco-based agent who is an associate of Jason Ferguson and works closely with Ferguson Jnr's management company, the Elite Sports Group.

Ferguson Jnr has denied any involvement in the deal, while United have said they have no knowledge of any involvement in the deal by either Morris or Elite. United are furious at the implication of such a conflict of interest.

"Various documents are now in our possession," the FA's executive director David Davies, said. "They will be studied very carefully and any breach of the rules and regulations that they show will then be discussed as a matter of urgency."

United officials said yesterday that they were satisfied with the work that Marotta did on their behalf. Having paid what they said was "an appropriate sum" to Marotta, a licenced Fifa agent, United feel they have acted entirely within Fifa regulations. They also claim that, as a plc, they have one of the best business structures in the Premier League for dealing with transfers.

Ferguson Jnr was unavailable for comment yesterday. Marotta, whose company, Gama Sports & Events, is based in Montreux, declined to discuss his links to Ferguson Jnr or Morris. "My friend, I am skiing with my family," he said. "I cannot talk about this now."

Having received leaked documents relating to the Howard case, the FA is now duty-bound to launch a full investigation. It is understood that the FA is also looking at Harry Kewell's move from Leeds to Liverpool and Ivan Campo's move to Bolton from Real Madrid.

Ferguson Jnr has been involved in previous player moves to and from Old Trafford. Both he and Morris were involved in Jaap Stam's £15m move from United to Lazio in August 2001, a deal which saw £1.4m paid in agents' fees. This particular deal led the United board to discourage Ferguson Jnr's involvement in deals with United.

However, at United's AGM in November, the club's chief executive, David Gill, was pressed for information about Ferguson Jnr's involvement in deals. Gill said: "Jason Ferguson works for Elite, who we do use for certain transactions, and they have certain players who are on our books and we use them for certain players coming in.

"Jason is more on the corporate side of the business, I have not actually sat in on business where he has been involved," he added. "We do not believe that there has been any conflict of interest, or will be."

It would seem unlikely, even at this early stage of the FA's investigation, that United will face any charge over the Howard deal. For that to happen, the FA would need to prove conclusively that the club had chosen an agent, Marotta, knowing he would be forwarding part of the cash to someone else. Not only that, but it would also need to be established, via documentary proof, that Marotta, Morris and Ferguson Jnr worked together on the deal. Though the trio have strong links and Marotta allegedly paid Morris some money, this falls far short of proving a firm financial chain involving Ferguson.

"We receive information from all kinds of areas making allegations surrounding transfer deals," an FA source said. "Clearly, as the governing body in this country we must investigate any allegation to ensure there is no wrongdoing. However, that does not guarantee action will be taken unless the wrongdoing can be proved."

A speedy resolution to the Howard case, or several others under investigation, is unlikely. A similar investigation involving Bosko Balaban's £6m move from Dinamo Zagreb to Aston Villa in August 2001 has been in process for 18 months and there is still no sign of an end.

Plans for total transparency in transfer dealings - which would see the declaration of every fee to every person involved - are also some distance from materialising.