Ross Barkley's £15m move to Chelsea from Everton was not a 'criminal offence', say Merseyside police after complaint from Mayor of Liverpool

  • Ross Barkley turned down a £35million move to Chelsea on transfer deadline day
  • He left Everton for just £15m this month but is yet to make his debut for the club
  • Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, wrote to the FA and contacted the local police
  • Merseyside Police say there is 'no evidence that a criminal offence has occurred'
  • Everton fan Anderson asked if 'any fraud has taken place' in Barkley's transfer

Merseyside Police say there is no evidence that a 'criminal offence' took place during Ross Barkley's controversial move to Chelsea earlier this month.

The midfielder left Everton in a £15million deal on January 5, just four months after he had been set to move to Stamford Bridge for more than double the fee.

Barkley opted to remain at Goodison Park on transfer deadline day last summer, but did not play for the Toffees this season after suffering a serious hamstring injury.

Ross Barkley tussles with Gary Cahill in training after joining Chelsea from Everton for £15m

Ross Barkley tussles with Gary Cahill in training after joining Chelsea from Everton for £15m

Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, questioned if fraud had taken place during Barkley's move

Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, questioned if fraud had taken place during Barkley's move

His cut-price move did not sit well with Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, who wrote to the FA to ask 'whether any fraud has taken place'.


Anderson, who is a lifelong Everton supporter, also revealed that he had contacted the police to see if anyone had benefited inappropriately from Barkley's transfer.

The England midfielder had looked destined to seal a £35m switch on August 31 last year, but later claimed he had decided to reassess his options in January.

Anderson questioned why Barkley's value had dropped so much in such a short space of time - despite his current deal expiring at the end of the season - and also questioned the role of agents in the modern game. 

Barkley was presented to the fans at Stamford Bridge before last week's game with Arsenal

Barkley was presented to the fans at Stamford Bridge before last week's game with Arsenal

A young fan looks at a shirt printed with Barkley's name and number in Chelsea's club shop

A young fan looks at a shirt printed with Barkley's name and number in Chelsea's club shop

However, the force's assistant chief constable, Serena Kennedy, has now written to Mayor Anderson saying there is 'no evidence that a criminal offence has occurred'.

Kennedy has also contacted the FA and the Premier League to ask them to pass on any relevant information from their own investigations.

Mayor Anderson said: 'I have had a response from the police saying that they don't think there is anything criminal but they said they have written to the Football Association to let them know that if their own investigations unearth anything, to inform them.

'I wanted the FA and the Premier League to look at their own protocols because they should have a concern that if a deal was agreed with the player in August and then 16 weeks later the deal is resurrected but for £20 million less - then yes it should be a concern.'

Barkley celebrates after scoring against Watford on his last home appearance for Everton

Barkley celebrates after scoring against Watford on his last home appearance for Everton

In his letter to FA chairman Greg Clarke and Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore earlier this month, Anderson wrote: '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 benefiting inappropriately.

'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.'

FULL LETTER TO THE FA FROM MAYOR JOE ANDERSON

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 benefiting inappropriately.

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

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