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The full text of Joe Anderson’s explosive letter to the bosses of the Football Association and the Premier League reveals that he has contacted the police over the transfer of Ross Barkley from Everton to Chelsea.

The outspoken Mayor of Liverpool caused a stir on social media when he revealed he would be contacting those at the head of the English game about what he felt was a deliberate attempt to bring down the value of Barkley ahead of his January switch from the Blues to Chelsea.

But now the ECHO can exclusively reveal that Mayor Anderson says he is so concerned by the manner in which the transfer was done - that he has contacted the relevant policing authorities to investigate “whether any fraud has taken place.”

The lifelong Everton fan is unhappy that Barkley had arranged to move to Stamford Bridge in the summer for a reported fee of £35 million, before pulling out of the deal at the last minute.

After not playing a game in the intervening months, the England midfielder sealed his switch when the transfer window opened last week - but for a much smaller figure of £15 million.

(Image: Colin Lane)

In his letter to Football Association Chairman Greg Clarke and Premier League boss Richard Scudamore - written on Mayor of Liverpool headed paper - Mayor Anderson describes himself as “a lifelong supporter of Everton Football Club - and as someone with a broader interest in the future of the game.”

Discussing the Barkley transfer, he points out that Everton owner Farhad Moshiri announced on August 31 that a deal had been reached with Chelsea for the player for a fee of £35 million.

He writes: “The fee was believed by many, including myself, to be a good deal and was based on him having just a year left of his contract.”

Pointing out that the deal was rejected by Barkley at the eleventh hour, the Mayor goes on to explain that he has not played a single minute for the Blues since then, with the stated reason for this being a groin strain.

(Image: Tom Dulat/Getty Images for Premier League)

Referring to the subsequent January sale of Barkley for the much lesser fee, Mayor Anderson writes: “(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.

“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.”

He goes on to suggest that the circumstances surrounding the transfer warrant “serious investigation”, adding that “there seems to be at least a public perception that collusion has taken place.”

He then calls upon the football chiefs to look into the transfer in order to “reassure fans that transfers will be monitored more closely in future and that no individuals are benefitting inappropriately.”

(Image: Mike Egerton/PA Wire)

But perhaps the most startling point in the letter - and the passage that proves how seriously the mayor is taking this - comes when he suggests he has contacted the police over the issue.

He writes: “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.”

Concluding, Mayor Anderson adds: “As a politician - and someone who supports and rightly welcomes scrutiny under the Nolan Principles - I feel it is right that the public receive an assurance on this matter - and that transfers are monitored more closely.

“I hope we can count on the sport’s governing bodies to provide those.”

Below is the Joe Anderson’s letter to FA Chairman Greg Clarke and Premier League Executive Chairman Richard Scudamore over the transfer of Ross Barkley from Everton to Chelsea.

When contacted by the ECHO, Ross Barkley’s management team declined to comment.

The ECHO has also attempted to reach Chelsea Football Club for a response.

(Image: Colin Lane)

9 January 2018

Dear Sirs,

Ross Barkley transfer

I write to you as a lifelong supporter of Everton Football Club - and as someone with a broader interest in the future of the game. The matter at hand is the recent transfer of Ross Barkley from Everton FC to Chelsea FC.

It was widely reported and confirmed by Mr Farhad Moshiri, a Director of EFC - in an interview on August 31 with Sky Sports News - that a deal had been reached with Chelsea for a fee of £35 million.

The fee was believed by many, including myself, to be a good deal and was based on him having just a year left of his contract.

However with less than an hour remaining on deadline day it was revealed that the deal had been rejected by Ross Barkley. At the time, it was stated by his agent that Ross had a hamstring injury and had decided to regain his fitness and then consider his options in January.

Since then, Ross Barkley has not played a single minute for Everton. The stated reason is that he has a groin strain. As I mentioned Mr Barkley had one year left on his contract with Everton and his saleable value at the time clearly was based on him having only this period left.

The January window opened and within hours Chelsea had tabled an offer to Everton of £15 million - some £20 million less than offered just four months earlier - a decrease in value of more than one million pounds a week. At best, this represents a very poor deal for Everton Football Club. 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.

As you well know, there is much speculation about the role of agents in transactions such as this and the impact it has on the modern game, including their role in the transfer of players.

I believe that the player has a contract and it should be honoured by both parties but clearly, the value of a player decreases as the contract runs down. It must surely concern you that the value of this player decreased so sharply, losing the selling club over £1 million per week, (plus the costs of the continuation of the player’s wages).

Had he left at the end of the season, it is clear he could then have departed on a free transfer and I accept that would and could have happened, costing Everton more. However, I believe that the circumstance of his transfer now warrants serious investigation.

There seems to me to be at least a public perception that collusion has taken place. While that may not be the case it is in your interest that this is at least looked at to reassure fans that transfers will be monitored more closely in future and that no individuals are benefitting inappropriately.

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Football fans are often treated as the forgotten minority and the premier league would not be the fantastic product it is without them. Those committed fans pay exceptional ticket prices to watch their team play which I believe gives them a stake in this whole process and they deserve the right to a degree of transparency.

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.

As a politician - and someone who supports and rightly welcomes scrutiny under the Nolan Principles - I feel it is right that the public receive an assurance on this matter - and that transfers are monitored more closely. I hope we can count on the sport’s governing bodies to provide those assurances.

Yours faithfully,

Joe Anderson

Mayor of Liverpool