United act to ensure transfers above reproach

MANCHESTER UNITED will force agents to sign a declaration of impartiality to ensure the club’s transfer dealings are beyond reproach.

The move is part of revised transfer procedures at Old Trafford instigated following a wide-ranging review by finance director Nick Humby which has also led to the club axing Jason Ferguson's Elite Sports group from the list of agents used to act on United's behalf.

While Humby's review, launched as a result of the 99 corporate governance questions posed by major shareholders John Magnier and JP McManus earlier this season, concluded that United have complied with all current regulations, it did highlight significant problems.

The most notable of these were the "external concerns" at the club's relationship with Elite, given that Sir Alex Ferguson's son is a director of the organisation, and the possibility that agents are passing on a percentage of their fees without United knowing who the money is going to.

The latter problem was specifically exposed in the deals that took Kleberson and Tim Howard to Old Trafford last summer, transfers that are the subject of on-going FA investigations.

As a result, United will demand all agents acting on their behalf sign written declarations confirming they have no "direct or indirect relationship" with anyone at the club.

United have now taken unilateral action to cut the link between the club and their illustrious manager's son although, as 13 members of the current Red Devils squad are on Elite's books, including Danny Pugh, who is due to sign for Leeds today, there is still plenty of scope for business between the two companies.

Indeed, Humby's review confirms that United have paid Elite £237,000 for contract renegotiations alone, plus £300,000 as part of the deal that brought goalkeeper Roy Carroll to Old Trafford from Wigan.

Those sums form part of an incredible £14million United paid out in agents fees during a three-year period going back to January 2001.

This figure includes a controversial payment of £750,000 to Monaco-based agent Mike Morris, who acted on behalf of United in the transfer of Jaap Stam to Lazio three years ago, a deal where Elite were also involved for the Serie A side.

The close relationship between Morris and Elite has come under particular scrutiny, although United have accepted categoric assurances that Morris "is not involved in either the management or ownership of Elite".

While the club believe the £14million generally to be money well spent, in particular the £700,000 paid to Gaetano Marotta for his role in the £2.3million transfer of Howard from Major League Soccer in July, there is more concern over the belief that Marotta passed on some of the money to a third party.

Humby has been unable to establish who or how much. Neither has he been able to work out why Kleberson's former club Paranaese were sent a letter saying Ian Hetherington had been authorised to act on United's behalf in talks that saw the Brazilian move to Old Trafford when the club had actually appointed Hetherington's associate Jorge Gama, who unlike his colleague at the time held a FIFA licence.