Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley has started a fight on yet another front, it seems, with an attack on rival JD Sports. Retail correspondent Laura Onita has the latest...

Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct fired off another bizarre missive this morning, this time weighing in on the competition watchdog’s investigation into rival JD Sports’ acquisition of Footasylum.

It says: “Although the full text of the competition and markets authority’s decision is not yet public, Sports Direct’s board has received legal advice that the issues identified by the CMA in its announcement regarding brand relationships specifically, are likely to be a key focus of any Phase II investigation, but are also likely to have wider market implications beyond this transaction, as they appear to highlight the power of the ‘must-have’ brands and potential market-wide practices aimed at controlling the supply and, ultimately, the pricing of their products.”

The CMA has not said it will look at the deal in more detail yet, which would be the so-called phase two. If it does, the likes of Sports Direct and other competitors will likely have to offer their views on the sector as part of the process. But rather than wait and do it privately, Sports Direct decided to share its thoughts with the City today regardless.

Sports Direct’s main gripe appears to be ‘brand relationships’. Worth noting that while JD Sports historically has had very good ties with the likes of Nike and Adidas, which it sells in its stores, Sports Direct does not.

JD Sports declined to comment.