Chelsea saved themselves £20 million by waiting three months to sign Ross Barkley.
Barkley was set to move to Stamford Bridge in August for a reported fee of £35 million before the midfielder pulled out of the transfer at the last minute, only for Chelsea to return in the early stages of the January transfer window with a reduced offer of £15 million, which was accepted by the Merseyside club.
In the months between August and the turn of the year, Barkley failed to make a single appearance for the Toffees due to a hamstring injury which required surgery.
And the fact that Everton received £20 million less than they would have if Barkley’s summer move went through as planned doesn’t sit well with Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson.
When the deal for the England international went through, Mayor Anderson took to social media to reveal that he intended to contact Football Association and Premier League chiefs to call for an investigation into the transfer.
I will be writing to .@premierleague & .@FA calling for investigation into the circumstances around the transfer of Ross Barkley between Everton and Chelsea. Agent pulls transfer on deadline day of £35 million doesn’t play again transfer 4 months later £20 million
— Joe Anderson (@joeando58) January 5, 2018
Anderson, who is a lifelong Everton fan, suggested that some nefarious dealings had gone on and the Liverpool Echo has obtained a lengthy letter which the 59-year-old sent to the FA, as promised.
“(This is a ) decrease in value of more than one million pounds a week. At best, this represents a very poor deal for Everton Football Club,” he wrote.
“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 demanded a “serious investigation” into the circumstances surrounding the transfer, claiming that “there seems to be at least a public perception that collusion has taken place.”
He continued: “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.”
