Gregory left 'seething' at FA transfer investigation

John Gregory was last night reported to be mounting a "fierce defence" against any allegations of wrongdoing as the Football Association confirmed it was investigating several transfers during his managerial reign at Aston Villa.

The Midlands club has handed over an array of paperwork relating to transfers to the FA's compliance unit, which has been investigating the matter for several months. The documents include files relating to the signings of the Croatian striker Bosko Balaban, the Turkish defender Alpay Ozalan and the £9.5m club-record signing, Colombia's Juan Pablo Angel.

Amid suggestions that up to 20 deals are being examined, Villa released a statement, which insisted they had approached the FA with information and maintained that the club themselves were not under investigation.

"As a result of stories circulating in the media, Aston Villa and the FA wish the following to be known," the statement said. "The FA wants to make clear that Aston Villa is not under investigation. In fact, the club instigated its own inquiries earlier in the year as a result of continued rumour regarding a number of transactions, some of which involve players at their club.

"The FA's compliance unit is responsible for investigating all such matters. Aston Villa approached the FA to share information in order to assist both parties in their obligations and to ensure they discharge their responsibilities to the game. These matters are ongoing and complex.

"Not only is there no suggestion today that Aston Villa football club is under investigation, but the club took extra precautions in respect of transfers highlighted in the press. These were conducted via the FA and in full consultation with Uefa and Fifa as appropriate. The FA is grateful that Aston Villa are prepared to champion a campaign to rid the game of any 'bung' culture."

Gregory, who left Villa Park for Derby County in January, was said to be "seething" at any suggestion of underhand dealings and that he was consulting with his lawyers on how to proceed. A statement issued through his solicitor, David Price, said: "Mr Gregory wishes to make it clear that there is no basis to question his integrity in relation to any transfer that took place while he was manager of Aston Villa.

"If he recommended a purchase to the chairman it was because he believed it was in the best interests of the club. Anyone who suggests otherwise does so at his peril."

The FA was unable to confirm Villa's assertion that other clubs had also been asked to hand information over as part of an overall investigation into transfer dealings. An FA spokesman, Adrian Bevington, said: "We can confirm the FA compliance unit is conducting an investigation into a number of transfers involving Aston Villa Football Club.

"This investigation has been ongoing for several months and we expect it will be a significant period of time before the FA reaches any conclusion. At this time, we believe it would be inappropriate to provide further details of any individuals or particular cases being investigated. However, we would like to make clear that Aston Villa Football Club has been extremely co-operative since the investigation commenced."

It is understood that the Villa deal that has created the most interest was the £6m paid to Dynamo Zagreb for Balaban. The striker did not start a single Premiership game for Villa before being loaned back to his former club in the summer.

Balaban, who is having the majority of his wages paid by Villa, turned out to be Gregory's last big-money signing before he left Villa Park in January and moved to Pride Park.

But Balaban's agent, Nikki Vuksan, defended Gregory. "I'm totally shocked by this," he said. "Everything was fair and correct. The transfer was carried out solely through [Villa's chairman] Doug Ellis and [finance director] Mark Ansell. John Gregory was not involved at all and I can't understand why the club haven't made that clear."