Ross Barkley Transfer to Be Investigated for 'Fraud' as Huge Payment to Agent Revealed

Ross Barkley's transfer from Everton to Chelsea has been referred to police to investigate whether any "fraud" may have taken place, BBC News have reported.

This follows a report in the Times which revealed that Chelsea paid agent fees of £7m in addition to the £15m transfer fee.

The size of the agent fee in relation to the total of the transfer itself has raised eyebrows, as has the seemingly low cost of the deal.

(You may also be interested in Everton's Brief Statement Following Ross Barkley's Chelsea Move Has Twitter in Stitches)

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson - a lifelong Everton fan - has written to the FA, claiming that the deal "warrants serious investigation".

Barkley was believed to have been set to join Chelsea in the summer for £35m, but pulled out of the deal at the last minute. The agent fees agreed in the summer were not disclosed to the public due to the deal falling through.

Agent fees have been called into question previously, most notably when Paul Pogba's agent - Mino Raiola - received £41m after the French midfielder's then world-record move to Manchester United.

The £7m paid to Barkley's agent pales in comparison to many others, although - at close to half of the transfer fee paid to Everton - it has led to concerns.

The FA's guidance is that agent fees should comprise no more than 3 per cent of the value of the transfer, but clubs and intermediaries are free to come to any arrangement that they wish.

In his letter, Mr Anderson tells FA chairman Greg Clarke and Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore that he feels "it is right that the public receive an assurance on this matter".

Barkley has yet to feature in the Premier League this season due to a hamstring injury.