The former Metropolitan Police Commissioner has been conducting a 15-month probe into football's finances, and has now trained his focus on 15 agents and 17 deals that require further scrutiny. Chelsea, Newcastle, Bolton, Middlesbrough and Portsmouth have all been named after deals involving them were flagged by Lord Stevens, and some of the clubs could now face further investigation by the Football Association.
However, Stevens' findings reveal there is no evidence of irregular payments to club officials or players. Lord Stevens has further gone on to name Sam Allardyce and Graeme Souness as two managers who have attracted concern during his exhaustive investigation.
Newcastle's signings of Emre, Jean-Alain Boumsong, Amdy Faye and Albert Luque, Bolton's purchases of Ali Al-Habsi, Tal Ben Haim, Blessing Kaku and Julio Cesar, Portsmouth's transfers for Collins Mbesuma, Benjani Mwaruwari and Aliou Cisse and Middlesbrough's deals for Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Fabio Rochemback have all been identified.
Premiership runners-up Chelsea have also been named, with the signings of Didier Drogba, Petr Cech and Michael Essien causing Stevens some concern. One transfer has not been disclosed, but Stevens has also picked out agents that have either failed to co-operate or been involved in the deals that the former police chief has refused to sign off.
These include Israeli 'super-agent' Pini Zahavi, Barry Silkman, former agent and son of Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce, Craig Allardyce, Francis Martin and Willie McKay. A statement from Lord Stevens read: "Many lessons have been learned and strict adherence to and enforcement of the recommendations should ensure that the game and the transfer market can proceed in an untainted and transparent manner."
In December, The Premier League asked Lord Stevens to undertake further investigations into 17 transfers falling under the mandate of his inquiry into football's finances. In his report to The Premier League at the end of 2006, following a nine-month probe into illegal payments, Stevens had concluded that under five per cent of the 362 transfers covering the period from 1st January, 2004 to 31st January, 2006 required further scrutiny.
The Premier League will pass the final findings to the relevant governing bodies, with an FA spokesman stating: "The Premier League will now send the findings to the FA and Fifa. "Following the final report of the Premier League's Quest Inquiry, the FA will give full consideration to its contents and the documentation that is due to be passed on by the Premier League and Quest.
"The FA has provided full co-operation and support to the Premier League and Quest and will now go through their information as part of our governance and regulation process. This will determine what action is required."
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However, Stevens' findings reveal there is no evidence of irregular payments to club officials or players. Lord Stevens has further gone on to name Sam Allardyce and Graeme Souness as two managers who have attracted concern during his exhaustive investigation.
Newcastle's signings of Emre, Jean-Alain Boumsong, Amdy Faye and Albert Luque, Bolton's purchases of Ali Al-Habsi, Tal Ben Haim, Blessing Kaku and Julio Cesar, Portsmouth's transfers for Collins Mbesuma, Benjani Mwaruwari and Aliou Cisse and Middlesbrough's deals for Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Fabio Rochemback have all been identified.
Premiership runners-up Chelsea have also been named, with the signings of Didier Drogba, Petr Cech and Michael Essien causing Stevens some concern. One transfer has not been disclosed, but Stevens has also picked out agents that have either failed to co-operate or been involved in the deals that the former police chief has refused to sign off.
These include Israeli 'super-agent' Pini Zahavi, Barry Silkman, former agent and son of Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce, Craig Allardyce, Francis Martin and Willie McKay. A statement from Lord Stevens read: "Many lessons have been learned and strict adherence to and enforcement of the recommendations should ensure that the game and the transfer market can proceed in an untainted and transparent manner."
In December, The Premier League asked Lord Stevens to undertake further investigations into 17 transfers falling under the mandate of his inquiry into football's finances. In his report to The Premier League at the end of 2006, following a nine-month probe into illegal payments, Stevens had concluded that under five per cent of the 362 transfers covering the period from 1st January, 2004 to 31st January, 2006 required further scrutiny.
The Premier League will pass the final findings to the relevant governing bodies, with an FA spokesman stating: "The Premier League will now send the findings to the FA and Fifa. "Following the final report of the Premier League's Quest Inquiry, the FA will give full consideration to its contents and the documentation that is due to be passed on by the Premier League and Quest.
"The FA has provided full co-operation and support to the Premier League and Quest and will now go through their information as part of our governance and regulation process. This will determine what action is required."
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